


Needles and Thorns

by Gummy



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Gabe is such a softie I love him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9299882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummy/pseuds/Gummy
Summary: Lena works in a tattoo studio constantly struggling to stay afloat. While trying to get their name out into the world, she stumbles into a flower shop across the street and finds a beautiful florist who might also have a way to help.Tattoo Artist/Florist WidowTracer AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ya ya I know I already did a tattoo/flower AU. But is that going to stop me? Nooo.
> 
> Sorry in advance for any grammar mistakes

Lena sighed and flexed her aching hand, putting down the buzzing tattoo machine which was starting to whine with overuse. She could still feel the remnants of its vibrations tingling around in her nerves as she reached into the cabinet behind her to grab a towel and some antiseptic. The tattoo had turned out great, a large, vicious owl swooping down with it’s talons poised to tear out the first throat it saw. Dark and bloody wasn’t really Lena’s preferred art style but customers were customers and making sure they left the shop satisfied was the number one rule of the job. The customer also let out a sigh as he sat up to take a look at his new piece of artwork. 

“Oh man it looks great!” He said, tilting his shin left and right to make sure he could soak up every angle, “It feels like it’s coming right out of my skin.” 

“Glad you like it, love.” Lena said as she motioned for him to lay back down, “I just need to put some more cream on it and wrap it up.” She ran through the usual after-care routine as she wound some clear plastic wrap around the tattoo; things like what to expect in the next couple weeks of healing.

“Oh yes, the dreaded two weeks of recovery hell,” The man said with a fierce smile, “What happens if it gets infected?” 

“You can come see me and I’ll decide if you need an amputation or not.” Lena joked as she put on the final layer of tape, “I’m kidding. Keep your hands off and you won’t have to worry about that.” 

“No touchie, got it.” He said, holding up his hands in a mock surrender, “Not that I would want to, this thing hurts like hell.” 

“Also under no, and I mean  _ no,  _ circumstances should you ever scratch it!” Lena warned, “I don’t care how itchy it gets you keep your hands under your bum until it’s healed.”

“Sitting on my hands.” The man swore with a grin, “Roger that, Captain.” 

“Right, let me go ring this up and I’ll meet you at the front.” Lena said, getting up from her chair. The man limped over to the front counter and fished around in his pocket for his wallet, dropping an extra $30 into the tip jar before even getting the final price. 

“So what’s the damage?” He asked playfully, having insisted earlier that money was no issue.

“Looks like you’re going to be down $350.” Lena said, handing him a printed receipt.  

“Wait wait let me see!” Hana, Lena’s young apprentice, called from the back of the shop. She dropped her pen and came jogging up to the counter where she ogled at Lena’s newest work. 

“What do you think?” 

“Oooh it looks vicious. Good work, Boss.” Hana said in awe, “Winston come look at this one!” Their large financial manager came bustling over as well to study the man’s leg, stroking his beard between his thick fingers. 

“I’d say that’s quite satisfactory.” He commented, “Though that species of owl isn’t usually known to be aggressive.” 

“It has nothing to do with science, mi amigo.” The man said as he passed Lena his credit card with barely a glance at the receipt, “It’s an old superstition in my culture, but I always enjoyed hearing the stories about it.”

“Ah yes, my apologies.” Winston said awkwardly, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

“That should do it!” Lena said, handing the man back his card. She dug around in the desk and tossed him a bright orange business card, “Call me if anything comes up. And remember,  _ hands off.”  _

“I’ll make sure I’m handcuffed.” The man said, gripping Lena’s hand in a firm shake, “Thanks again!” 

“Anytime, Gabe.” She said with a two-finger salute as he walked out the door. 

“Was that the last appointment of the day?” Winston asked as he gathered up a pile of papers and neatly stacked them together. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Lena said, sinking into a nearby chair. She could still feel a dull ache in her palm and fingers, “Did we go positive today?” 

“I’m checking that now.” Winston said as he rapidly punched numbers into a calculator.

“We definitely should have.” Hana mused, handing over a few more papers, “We tattooed almost twenty people today even without Lucio here!” 

“But not all of them tipped.” Lena grumbled, fishing the few measly dollars out of the tip jar. Gabe’s was by far the biggest. They sat in silence except for the sound of Winston’s calculator taps. He hummed in thought.  

“Looks like…” He pounded a few more buttons, “It’s a profit day, but just barely.”           

“Whew,” Lena let out a large breath, flopping back against the chair, “I was worried we’d gone negative again.” She ran her aching fingers through her spiky hair, taking a moment to relax and enjoy the relief. Money was tighter than ever and any day ending in the positives, even just barely, meant another day the shop could stay open. 

“Guess we can pack up then.” Hana said, stowing her sketchbook and pencils into her backpack, “I’ll lock up since you did most of the work today.” 

“My hand thanks you.” Lena said with a tired smile. She quickly cleaned up the used ink and needles around her tattoo station, throwing them in the biohazard container along with the mountain of others. After wiping down everything with disinfectant, she tucked her chair under her desk and waved goodnight to her coworkers.

The night was still chilly this time of year and Lena pulled her scarf up over her nose as she walked out the glass double doors. The shop’s neon sign still glowed, washing her in a striking mixture of pink and blue light. 

_ Slipstream Tattoo Studio.  _

The name didn’t hold any sort of sentimental meaning to Lena and she wasn’t even really sure what Slipstream meant. It just popped into her head one day and figured it sounded catchy enough. It might be something important in another universe or timeline, but in this one it was just a simple name. 

The shop was nearing it’s one year anniversary and it had been a struggle to keep afloat since day one. Money was always tight and customers were sometimes hard to come by even though the studio was located right by a popular shopping center that had everything from shoe stores to flower shops. Many times they considered packing up everything and moving to a different location but, as always, they didn’t have the finances to do so. Lena often found herself frustrated and fed-up with the whole situation, tired of always standing on a tightrope between unemployment and bankruptcy. Sometimes is was enough to make her want to toss her machine right into the garbage and never tattoo again.

But quitting just wasn’t in Lena’s nature, and neither was self-pity. 

“We’re going to get our names out there,” She said to herself fiercely as she walked on, “I’ll make sure of it!” 

\---

The basis of making a business succeed is making sure people know about it and Lena was well aware that Slipstream wasn’t getting the exposure it needed. She spent most of the night designing and printing out flyers so she could pass them out around the shopping center the next day. Hopefully the word would spread around. Hopefully. 

Lena walked out of Slipstream the next day (during her lunch break of course) with a stack of her flyers ready to be passed out. She gazed around for a moment, unsure of where to start. She spied a large group of cars parked at the flower shop across the street and figured it would be an easy enough place to get going.   

The name of the flower shop was odd to say the least. While Lena didn’t know a good flower shop name from a bad one, she could tell this particular name was definitely out there. When she thought flowers her mind brought up images of all things pink, soft, and sweet-smelling. Definitely not anything sharp and/or dangerous. 

So “Talon Florist & Flower Delivery” was not the first name she would consider in the event that she would ever own a flower shop. Even the logo was strange, a barn owl and a black widow next to a vase of roses. Despite all these perplexing design choices, the place looked nice enough. The building was made of white stone with huge windows built in the front that seemed to display every kind of flower imaginable. The sweet smell hit Lena’s nose before she even got across the street.  

The front door was left ajar, propped open by a wooden sign displaying the shop’s weekly deal, 2 for $5 white roses. The flower smell intensified as Lena walked inside, discovering even more species of plants than the ones crowding the windows. A multitude of customers hovered around the front aisles, checking prices and giving the plants a few sniffs. She was ready to go on the offensive when she realized that the owners of the shop probably wouldn’t be too happy with her soliciting in their business without permission. 

 Deciding she didn’t want to be forcefully escorted from the premises, Lena wandered up towards the front counter, looking left and right for an employee. She spied a small bell and gave it a ring.

“Be right with you.” A deep voice called from somewhere in the back. There was some shuffling and clanks before the back door swung open and a man came walking in, arms full of large boxes.

“Welcome to Talon Florist and Flower Delivery, my name is Gabriel- Hey, Lena!” Gabe said excitedly, turning his body so Lena could see his face around the boxes.

“Gabe?” Lena blanched, expecting to wake up from this apparent fever dream any moment. This was the last place she ever expected a man like Gabe to be found, much less working in, “Wh- what? You work  _ here?”  _ Gabe threw down the boxes and dusted his hands on his black apron. 

She noted the “Save the Bees” button pinned to the pocket.

“Work here?” He asked incredulously, “I own this joint. Well, co-own but whatever you get the idea.” 

“I had no idea.” Lena said, still feeling stunned, “I expected you to be some kind of underground assassin or hitman.” 

“Oh stop, you’re flattering me.” Gabe said, “It’s the scars isn’t?” He pointed to the long jagged lines that went from his nose to the bottom of his chin. 

“Well you didn’t get those from picking daisies I assume.” Lena said with a laugh. 

“That would be correct.” Gabe grabbed a stool from under the counter and took a seat, crossing his arms, “So what brings you here today? Looking for the perfect flower to impress a certain person?” We waggled his eyebrows teasingly. 

“No no none of that.” Lena said quickly. She dropped the stack of flyers onto the counter, “I was wondering if I could pass these out around the shop. Slipstream needs more exposure.” Gabe grabbed a flyer and scanned it. He let out a hmm as he read over it. 

“I’ll buy some flowers in exchange?” Lena said tentatively. Winston had a birthday coming up and she could get him some bright girly flowers as a joke. So it technically wouldn’t be a waste?

“Now we’re talking.” Gabe said, taking the flyers, “I can pass these out when people make a purchase if you’d like.” 

“That would be perfect, I have to be back at the shop before my lunch break is over.” Lena said with a sigh of relief, “Maybe I’ll actually get to eat this time.”  

“You’re using your break to advertise?” Gabe asked, “Your dedication is truly unrivaled my friend, I respect that.”

“So I guess I’ll buy some flowers,” Lena said with a flattered smile, “Uh do you have anything in white?” 

“Oh, I’m no help when it comes to the pretty stuff, that’s Amélie’s job.”

“The pretty stuff?” 

“Yeah y’know the roses and the daisies that sort of thing.” Gabe said with a casual wave of his hand, “I’m more like the cactus and venus fly trap sorta guy.” 

“Venus fly traps? I’ll be back for those later,” Lena grinned, “But I don’t think Winston would appreciate them as much as I would.” That was a lie, Winson would go bananas for a venus fly trap. 

“Well then, let me go grab the beauty expert,” Gabe said, getting up from his chair, “I’ll be right back.” 

Gabe turned and went back through the door he came in. Lena drummed her fingers on the counter and waited. Several moments passed and Lena wondered just how old this woman was since she seemed to be taking forever getting to the front desk. And she  _ did  _ expect the world’s oldest woman to come teetering through the door.

But this shop was just one surprise after another. 

“Bonjour, how may I help you today?”

It wasn’t a decrepit old woman that greeted Lena. She was tall and elegant with the most graceful walk Lena had ever seen as she came striding into the shop. She wiped her hands on the front of her apron and grabbed a pen and paper from a drawer. Lena tried her hardest not to stare but this woman was absolutely stunning and gorgeous and every synonym inbetween.  

Even though Amélie’s features were beautiful, Lena couldn’t help but notice she looked rather bored; as if flowers and plants were the most uninteresting thing in the world.  

“Uhm, I was told you could help me with the pretty stuff?” Lena said uncertainly, trying to swallow her nerves, “Like the flower bouquets?”  

“Oui.” Amélie confirmed in a tone as dry as the look on her face.

“Well it’s my best mate’s birthday next week and I was hoping to get him some flowers as sort of a joke,” Lena said with a nervous giggle as Amélie’s steely gaze did not shift to accommodate the humor, “What do you recommend?” 

Amélie raised an eyebrow and Lena had the feeling that she was being judged to the highest degree. 

“Chrysanthemums are very popular this time of year.” Amélie finally said, “They are also known for their bright, feminine colors if that’s the tone you’re going for.” 

“Bingo! That’s exactly what I’m looking for!” Lena said excitedly, “I’ll take a dozen and one of those please!” Amélie shrugged and went through the backdoor to gather the flowers while Lena bounced in place impatiently. She eventually returned with the flowers rolled up in some bright pink tissue paper with a purple ribbon tied around the middle. She typed a few numbers into the computer and scanned a couple barcodes.

“That’ll be $46.48.” Amélie said. Lena’s mouth dropped open. 

“ _ What _ ?” She gasped, “They’re  _ plants!”  _

“ _ Plants _ are not cheap to grow, chérie.” Amélie said sourly, “Do you want them or not?”. 

“Yeah yeah I’ll take ‘em.” Lena grumbled, “The things I do for friendship.” She fished around in her pocket and handed a wad of cash to the florist who dropped it into the register. Lena looked over the bouquet and found it slightly uneven on the right side. That simply wouldn’t do, Winston was quite the fan of symmetry. 

“Um I actually won’t be needing this extra flower,” Lena said, “It looks a bit loopy on one side.” 

“D’accord,” Amélie said, face turning back to stone. 

“Well why don’t you keep it so it doesn’t go to waste?” Lena offered, putting the extra flower onto the counter, “I already paid for it so it’s technically not a waste.” 

“Charmed.” Amélie rolled her eyes, “Have a good rest of the day  _ chérie.”  _ She turned on her heel without another word and disappeared into the shop’s backroom.

“What a strange, beautiful woman.” Lena said under her breath, grabbing her flowers and exiting the shop.

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know shit about flowers lol
> 
> Again, I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I don't have a Beta reader and I'm too lazy to go back and read it myself.

“Okay I guess I better put these in some water.” Lena said to herself as she closed the door to her apartment with her foot. She dumped the flowers on the counter and dug through her cabinets for a vase. She eventually found a souvenir cup from a theme park she went to like, four years ago that would have to do. She was half sure that she didn’t even own a vase in the first place. She only needed to keep the flowers alive and kicking for the next few days, a task that seemed simple enough to manage.   

Lena dropped the bouquet into the hot pink cup and grabbed a pitcher of water from her fridge. Right as she was about to pour, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. 

“Yeah what’s up?” She said, wedging the phone between her ear and shoulder. 

_ “Lena!”  _ Lucio called through the receiver,  _ “It’s all you can drink for $4 at Reinhardt’s!”  _ She could hear the sounds of chatter and music in the background. 

“What right now?” Lena said excitedly, dropping the pitcher and running to her room to change clothes, “He hasn’t had a deal that good in months.”  

_ “Yeah you better hurry though! The bar is getting packed!”  _ Lucio said. She could hear Winston roaring with intoxicated laughter.  

“I’ll be there in five!” Lena said quickly, throwing her jacket around her shoulders, “Order me a pint.”

_ “Roger that.”  _

The phone disconnected with a beep. Lena flew around her apartment, grabbing her keys and shoes before speeding out the door.

 

\---

 

“Well shite,” Lena muttered as she stumbled into her apartment at 3am, head swimming with booze, “I’m going to feel like rubbish in the morning.” She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it on the couch where she was planning to pass out in a matter of minutes. It looked so inviting but something caught her eye as she prepared to crash. 

“Oh no no no no,” Lena said in panic as she rushed over to the kitchen table, “Double shite!” The flowers she had bought earlier lay wilted and borderline dead, hanging pathetically over the side of the plastic cup. She never put them in the water which was still sitting in the pitcher. She must have tossed them on the table and completely forgotten about the damned, expensive things in the rush getting ready to go out. Lena had never sobered up so fast. 

__ She grabbed the pitcher and filled the cup up to the brim, hoping for a miracle. They looked even more pathetic, now floating lazily in the water. A couple of the brown petals even detached from the flowers and made a small pile on the table. Lena hung her head in defeat. Almost $50 down the toilet. Plus it was the only idea she had in terms of Winston’s birthday present. 

“I’m such an idiot.” She said to nobody in particular, “And why do you die so easily!” She snapped at the dead flowers who only dropped more wilted petals in response.

She figured she  _ could  _ give the venus fly trap a shot... 

\---

The next morning Lena found herself walking up to the flower shop once again, sighing as she knew her wallet would soon be screaming. It was less crowded since it was still pretty early, so Lena had no problem making her way straight to the front counter. She found Gabe sitting on a bar stool behind the register in deep concentration, sprinkling some weird blue powder on a short, fat cactus. He looked up and broke into a grin.

“Long time no see to my favorite tattoo artist.” He said, putting down the cactus and wiping his hands on a rag, “Are you back for the venus fly traps like you promised?”

“That depends,” Lena said, drumming her fingers on the countertop, “How much do those run these days?” 

“Well since we grow our own special strain that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, they can get pretty pricey.” Gabe shrugged, “What happened to the stuff you bought yesterday?” 

“I uh, accidentally let my bouquet die so I need another one.” Lena said, pursing her lips and trying not to think of the number in her bank account.  

“Bad luck,” Gabe tsked, “Especially bad luck today.” He glanced towards the back door with a slightly worried look.

“Is something wrong?” Lena asked apprehensively. 

“Ah, no no I’ll go get the flower lady for you.” He hopped off the stool, gathering his cactus in his arms before shouldering out the door. Lena waited quietly, trying to ignore the muffled arguing heard from somewhere out back. Again, after several moments, Amélie came walking through the door. 

But this time she looked  _ angry.  _

The minute she saw who was waiting for her, she crossed her arms and glared at Lena who shrank under the spine-chilling glower. This version of Amélie was downright terrifying and Lena was contemplating whether or not to go sprinting from the shop back to the safety of her studio. She gulped and worked up the courage to look directly into Amélie’s eyes. They were resentful and somewhat red-rimmed.

“So  _ hilarious  _ story about the flowers I bought yesterday.” Lena started but was immediately silenced by Amélie who held up a hand. 

“Please just tell me what you want and I will get it for you.” Amélie said in an exasperated, slightly shaky voice. She sounded almost on the verge of tears.  

“Um, just what I had yesterday.” Lena said, slightly taken aback, “Are you...Okay?” Amélie ignored her and left to get the flowers, leaving Lena alone in the shop once again. She could hear more muted arguing coming from the back room and she felt slightly concerned. It finally quieted down and Gabe, not Amélie, came through the door with Lena’s flowers gathered in his arms. 

“This is what you wanted?” He asked gruffly. Lena nodded quickly. 

“Erm, is she okay?” She tried, glancing back towards the door which was left ajar. Gabe sighed as he punched a few numbers into the computer. 

“No, her ex-husband has been skulking around lately.” Gabe growled, “Total creep. He hasn’t left Amé alone since the divorce almost two years ago.” 

“Oh wow,” Lena said with a frown, “That look on her face makes sense now.”

“I know it’s not her fault but he puts her in this  _ mood  _ and it sometimes scares the customers away.” Gabe sighed again, “I think we both feel a little helpless to it.”

“What about a restraining order?” Lena suggested, feeling like she was stating the obvious.

“Nope. She’s tried, trust me. He’s never technically broken the law so it’s useless.” Gabe said with a grimace, “He just sort of hangs around and talks to her.”  

“Maybe someone should just bust his kneecaps with a bat and get it over with.” Lena suggested, “I’m sure he’d be feeling a little helpless without his ability to walk.” Gabe barked out a laugh, slapping his leg with his hand as he wrapped the flowers in the same pink tissue paper from before. 

“I knew I liked you,” He said loudly, shoulders still shaking with laughter, “I’m sure Amélie would appreciate that but we can’t ask you to go to jail for us.”

“You only go to jail if you get caught.” Lena said with a wicked grin, “I’m pretty fast if I do say so myself.” 

“Well, Speed Demon, if you ever see a tall, French dude with combed black hair and a scar across his nose, swing away.” Gabe finished tying the purple ribbon and handed Lena the fresh bouquet of flowers. 

“I keep a bat under my desk at the shop, just call me if you need it.” Lena said, handing Gabe a couple of bills, “And uh, can you give this to Amélie?” She plucked one of the Chrysanthemums from the bouquet and put it on the counter. “Tell her Lena, er the annoying one, said to feel better.” 

“I’ll make sure she gets it.” Gabe smiled, “You have a good rest of the day alright?” 

“Happy to oblige.” 

Lena exited the shop with the flowers cradled in her arms, scanning the surrounding area for a man matching Gabe’s description. She didn’t even know Amélie and yet she felt this obligation to keep her safe, even if they had only exchanged a few unpleasant sentences. But the outside of the shop was deserted since it was still early. Lena crossed the street back towards Slipstream, unlocking the front door and entering the empty building. She put the flowers in a drawer and started to unpack her machine, ready to set up for the day’s appointments. 

Hana showed up about an hour later, yawning loudly with a coffee in one hand and an energy drink in the other. She grunted a hello to Lena as she sat at her station, trying to wake up completely as she sipped at both drinks. Lucio and Winston came in shortly after, bleary-eyed and dazed as they were both nursing hangovers. Winston’s glasses were slightly crooked and Lucio had on different colored socks. 

“Wow you guys look terrible.” Hana said bluntly as she walked to the front of the shop, seemingly more alert, “How do you expect to get any work done like this?” 

“My first appointment isn’t until ten.” Lucio said, putting his head down on his desk, “Plenty of time to recover.” 

“I feel fine.” Lena chimed in, thinking back to her sobering experience with the dead flowers, “And I drank laps around those loons last night at the bar. ” 

“Oh please, the beer you drink is practically water,” Hana said, looking like she was thoroughly enjoying the outraged look on Lena’s face.

“ _ Excuse me?”  _ Lena cried incredulously, “You’re not even old enough to drink how could you possibly know that?” Hana scoffed and bumped Lucio’s fist on the way back to her desk. 

“Decimated.” Lena heard Lucio say under his breath. 

The first customers of the day entered the shop shortly after, kicking-starting the busy routine of the artists. As the morning went on into the evening, Lena found herself constantly looking out the front window of the studio, subconsciously checking the area around the flower shop for shady ex-husbands. She would catch herself and give her head a little shake, trying to drive all of her focus back into the task at hand.  Which was a gigantic tattoo of a pig on fire taking a bite out of a hand grenade. It was one of the most outlandish tattoos Lena had agreed to do and she asked the man several times if he was certain this was the piece he wanted. The twitchy man assured her in a thick, giggly Australian accent that this was the tattoo he needed, that he wouldn’t be able to go on living without it. She had been working on it for almost three hours and could already feel her hand cramping up. 

“I’m almost finished with the outline,” Lena said to the customer, who was completely relaxed as if he were getting a massage, “When did you want to get it colored? We close up soon.” The man checked a comically large watch wrapped around his prosthetic arm.  

“I’ll have to be running soon, mate.” He said, “Can we finish up this shindig in a few weeks?” 

“Yes, I think that would be best,” Lena said, putting a few finishing touches along the edges, “The coloring for this is going to take ages.” The man paid for the tattoo in a strange assortment of large bills before scurrying out the front door without putting his shirt on. Lena sat back in her chair, rubbing a spot on her throbbing forehead. She began the long process of cleaning up her station, dumping out the ink and disposing of the used needles. While wiping down her desk, Lena looked out the front windows (again) noting that Gabe was outside the flower shop putting boxes of plants into the back of his truck. He slammed it shut and seemed to be calling something to Amélie before getting behind the wheel and driving away. 

Lena was instantly floored with a wave of dread. How could Gabe just leave Amélie there by herself knowing that her ex-husband was possibly skulking around in the shadows? She dropped her rag and raced to the front window, peering out into the rapidly darkening street. The lights were still on in the shop and Lena could see faint movement in the back. She bit her lip as the lights went out one by one, making it much harder to see if anyone was hiding by the front door. Lena chewed nervously on her fingernails as Amélie stepped out into the darkness and began walking towards her car. 

Any second Lena was expecting a wildman to jump out from the darkness. Would he have a weapon? A knife? A bag full of rocks? 

“What are you staring at, boss?” Hana said, walking up behind Lena who jolted in surprise. She whirled around to face her apprentice who was staring at her in confusion. 

“W-What?” Lena stuttered, pushing aside the bangs that had fallen in her face when she jumped. 

“Are you creeping on that lady across the street?” Hana asked, jabbing a finger against the glass. Lena turned back around to see Amélie getting safely into her vehicle. She sighed in relief. 

“Ooh you have good taste.” Hana said smugly, “She’s hot. Didn’t know you liked em’ tall.” 

“I wasn’t creeping on her!” Lena said hotly, scowling at Hana who’s grin only got bigger, “I was just making sure she got to her car safely.” 

Well, that was half-true. 

“Right because this area is just  _ riddled  _ with crime.” Hana rolled her eyes, “Murderers and thieves waiting on every corner.”

“Har har,” Lena said sarcastically, “What are you gonna do call Scotland Yard on me?”

“I won’t, but that woman might if  _ she  _ catches you with your face glued to the window like that.” Hana shrugged, popping her bubble gum obnoxiously.  

“I’m outta here.” Lena grumbled, “Make sure the back door is locked when you leave.” 

“Will do.” Hana gave a salute as she walked away. Lena gave a final glance out of the window right as Amélie was pulling her car out into the street.

She watched until the red lights faded into the dark.         


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotta dialogue in this one so if you're into that....go wild.

“Do you think you’re sacrificing a little too much for the sake of this joke?” Lúcio asked as he and Lena stared at the pile of ashes that was once beautiful flowers. She had let him in on the joke the day before, hoping someone would validate her reasons for going back to the flower shop multiple times. Lena dropped the magazine she had been using to fan the smoke away, trying to ignore the acrid smell it left behind.  

“How much did these flowers cost?” Lucio said, wincing at the pathetic look Lena gave him. 

“You don’t want to know.” Lena mumbled as she hung her head, “I can’t believe this is the second bouquet I’ve ruined.” 

“Maybe you should just get Winston a wacky tie or something.” He suggested sympathetically, “Remember that your rent is due soon.” 

“Well, third time’s the charm is it not?” Lena laughed weakly, looking at the pile of white and gray ashes again, “I’ll give it one more shot.” 

“This better be one hell of a joke.” 

“It’s starting to feel that way yeah.” 

 

\--

 

“You’re kidding me.” Gabe called out to Lena before she even had a foot in the doorway, “Please tell me you didn’t ruin  _ another.”  _

“Okay hear me out-” Lena started in defense but was interrupted by Gabe’s howling laughter, “Oh come on!” She blushed in embarrassment as he guffawed at her misfortune from behind the counter. 

“Is it just me or does every plant you touch die a horrible death?” Gabe asked, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

“This one wasn’t my fault!” Lena said indignantly, “I didn’t realize the flowers were that close to the stove!” She huffed as Gabe was taken over by another round of boisterous laughs, even doubling over in his seat and slapping his thighs. She crossed her arms and waited for him to calm down and catch his breath, one eyebrow raised. 

“Are you done?” Lena asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 

“Probably not,” Gabe said with a wide grin, “I’m wondering if I should even sell you more flowers. There’s got to be a cruelty law against this.” 

“It’s not like they can feel things!” Lena said, “And I’m not doing it on purpose I was just trying to make a grilled cheese-  _ stop laughing!”  _  Gabe let out a final snort before gathering his composure, well sort of. He still had the remnants of a smug grin on his lips.  

“Would you like to take a look at our discount flowers?” He asked innocently, gesturing to a corner where several half-withered plants were displayed, “They’re half off.”

“Har har.” Lena said, crossing her arms, “Can you just get me the same thing I had before?” Gabe tapped his chin in thought. 

“Ooh, no can do,” He hummed with a mock frown, “Unfortunately you killed the last of the chrysanthemums we had.” 

“Are you serious?” Lena threw up her hands in exasperation, “They were perfect!” 

“You should’ve thought about that before you decided to give them a cruel and unusual death.” Gabe said, “I hope you gave them a proper burial.” Lena thought briefly to the dumpster behind her building. 

“Yyeesss….?” She said uncertainly. 

“Well as long as they were treated with dignity I  _ guess  _ we can sell you more.” Gabe sighed, getting up from his stool, “Let me go fetch the master.” 

“Wait wait wait,” Lena stopped him quickly, “Uhh you don’t have to do that.” Gabe gave her a puzzled look.

“You know I don’t know anything about flowers.” He said, “We’ve been over this-” Pausing mid-sentence, Gabe’s frown turned into a huge, shit-eating grin. Lena flushed before he even opened his mouth. 

“You’re scared of her.” 

“A-Am not!” Lena shouted, hearing the lie in her own voice. She grimaced. Well Gabe was half-right. It wasn’t just the feeling of fear in Lena’s gut at the prospect of speaking with Amélie. It was a jumbled mess of a lot of things. But yes, a good portion of it was fear. 

“How precious.” He said sweetly, putting his hands together by his face, “The girl with a million tattoos and gaping holes in her ears is afraid of a florist.” He let out a dreamy sigh. 

“That’s not fair,” Lena whined, “You’ve seen Amélie’s glare and well, her overall facial expressions in general...”  

“Don’t be a wuss,” Gabe scoffed, “I think you’ll survive.  _ I’ve  _ been working with her for years and I’m still alive aren’t I?”   

 Lena stood cautiously straight as she waited. There was no telling what kind of mood Amélie would be in today. Would she be even angrier that Lena had destroyed another batch of her precious flowers? Chewing on her fingernails, she once again contemplated making a break for the front door and running away, never to look back. Legs poised to make a run for it, the sound of the back door opening kept Lena rooted in place like a terrified little rabbit.  

“We meet again chérie.” That silky French voice greeted her, “I did not think I would be seeing you again.” 

To Lena’s extreme surprise, there was a pleasant smile on Amélie’s face as if she was very amused by something. Her brain whirred as it struggled  to form coherent sentences.   

“I-I’ve been told that I’m very hard to get rid of.” Lena said with a lame attempt at humor, “Most people don’t appreciate that.” Again, to her surprise, Amélie let out a small chuckle. It sounded like a windchime. 

“So I’m sure there’s a hilarious explanation as to why you’ve ruined yet  _ another  _ bouquet of my flowers, non?” Amélie said slyly, resting her cheek on her hand as she leaned on the counter. Lena’s heart raced it’s fast, little rabbit beats as she noticed how low-cut Amélie’s top was. 

_ Pull it together, Oxton you useless lesbian.  _

“I wouldn’t call it hilarious more than pathetic.” Lena said, trying to slow her heart rate and not be a weirdo, “I think I have the opposite of a green thumb which is technically a red thumb if you’re looking at a color wheel…”  

“Well you’ve managed to burn through our entire stock of mums.” Amélie said, flipping through the papers on her clipboard. 

“Funny that you mentioned burning.” Lena started but was interrupted by Amélie’s laughter, sending her heart pattering again. 

“Mon deux, Gabe wasn’t joking.” She laughed, putting a hand over her mouth to try and stifle her giggles, “I don’t mean to laugh in your face, chérie.”

“It’s alright,” Lena shrugged, “It was my fault after all. I haven’t been living in the States for very long and my mate told me about this thing called grilled cheese or whatever. Long story short, I tried to put out the fire with the flowers.” 

Just like Gabe, Amélie was lost in another fit of laughter but Lena didn’t feel nearly as disgruntled this time around. In fact, she was quite enjoying having such a beautiful woman laugh in her face.   

“I apologize.” Amélie finally said, sitting up straight and putting her hands properly in her lap, “I’ll admit that I also struggled with my adjustment to the American diet.” 

“It’s quite strange isn’t it?” Lena said, “I’ve had my fair share of kitchen disasters and I can’t tell if it’s the food or if my friends are terrible at cooking.” 

“Trust me when I say it’s probably a combination of both.” Amélie chuckled. She paused for a moment, seeming to be studying Lena who was trying very hard not to blush. 

“I’ll admit,” Amélie started, “I didn’t think you’d ever come back to the shop.”   

“Why’s that?” 

“Well,” She bit her lip, “I wasn’t exactly the shining star of customer service the last couple times we spoke.”  

“Oh don’t worry about that, love” Lena said hastily in a hopefully reassuring voice, “I’m a Brit, it takes a lot to hurt my feelings. I have very thick skin.” She flexed her arms as if the strained sleeves on her button down shirt would help drive the point home. Well, a few points. Lena was quite proud of the muscle she had retained over the years and often enjoyed showing it off when she could. She hoped Amélie was appreciating it as well, but her face was hard to read. 

“Well to make up for my behavior, I would like to give you this next bouquet on the house.” Amélie said. 

“I can’t accept that.” Lena frowned, “I wouldn’t feel right unless I paid for them. It’s no easy picnic growing those things after all.” 

“I assure you it’s no issue.” Amélie insisted, looking quite adamant about her decision. Lena wanted to argue but if the woman wanted to give her free flowers, who was she to refuse?  

“Well alright,” Lena said, feeling glued to those amber eyes that stared back at her, “At least give me something cheap then.” Amélie hummed as she flipped through a flower catalogue. 

“Our sunflowers are on sale this week if that’s something you’re interested in?” Amélie suggested, peeking over the top of the booklet. 

“That sounds lovely actually.” Lena said in all seriousness, “I’ve always found those to be very pleasant on the eyes.”

“One moment then.” Amélie slipped out the back door, leaving Lena alone in the shop feeling quite giddy. She fought hard against the grin that was trying to sneak onto her face. 

She was so fucked. 

_ You’re acting like a damn school girl.  _ She chided herself, feeling those bloody fluttering butterflies in her stomach again. Here she was, talking to almost a complete stranger who happened to be super gorgeous and Lena was feeling weak in the knees like some lovestruck loon. She tried to heavily remind herself that Amélie had an ex- _ husband.  _ As in a man. Which meant that she was probably straight. She suppressed a groan and sagged against the counter. What rotten luck she had sometimes.    

The back door opened a moment later and Lena snapped up straight. 

“These are the best ones we had in the patch.” Amélie said with a hint of pride in her voice as she laid them on the counter. 

“They look great!” Lena said, reaching out and giving one a poke, “Winston is going to love em’. Er, he’s my coworker.” She just wanted to be absolutely clear about that.  _ Juuust in case.  _

“Is he also covered in tattoos?” Amélie asked, nodding towards Lena’s arms. It wasn’t in a mocking tone. She sounded genuinely curious. 

“Oh, no he’s deadly afraid of needles. Faints if you get one too close to him.” Lena said with a chuckle, “Makes no sense for him to be working in a tattoo shop right?”

“A tattoo shop? You mean like that one across the street?”

“That would be my shop yes,” Lena said, “I did the tattoo on Gabe’s leg actually.” Amélie looked quite impressed. 

“That piece was lovely.” She complimented as she started wrapping the sunflowers in yellow tissue paper, “I was quite jealous when I saw it.”

“Oh stop,” Lena said, feeling extremely flustered yet pleased, “You florists love to stroke my ego I swear.”   
“Well I mean it,” Amélie shrugged, “If I were to get a tattoo I’d definitely want you being the one doing it.” 

Lena’s heart stopped for a split second as the words processed through her brain. A very vivid image flashed through her mind of her hands moving over various parts of Amélie’s body. Well, so much for composure. 

“T-that can be arranged, love.” Lena stuttered, probably sounding like a complete idiot, “I’ve got plenty of appointment spaces open.” She was just throwing a chance into the void, knowing that Amélie would never take an offer so out of the blue. Lena nearly fainted as Amélie seemed to actually consider it. She looked thoughtful, looking Lena up and down against as if studying her carefully. 

“What times do you have available next week?” She finally asked. Lena’s mouth fell open. 

“Are you serious?” She asked in disbelief, “I’m not trying to pressure you into it I swear it was just a silly suggestion you don’t have to.” Amélie reached out and put a finger over Lena’s lips, effectively shutting her up immediately. She was definitely going to faint now. 

“I would love to make an appointment, chérie,” She said in a silky voice, “Next Wednesday perhaps?” Lena nodded quickly, lips burning as Amélie lifted her finger away. 

“Wednesday would be perfect,” Lena uttered, feeling like her brain had been replaced with mush, “You can walk in any time that’s good for you.” 

“Do you have a number I can call to check in before my appointment?” 

Lena robotically reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, setting it to a blank contact. Amélie tapped in her number and handed it back smoothly. 

“I’ll see you Wednesday then,” Amélie confirmed with a slight smirk, “Enjoy your flowers.” She handed Lena the bouquet which felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in her jelly-like arms. 

“Wednesday.” Lena said dumbly, shaking her head to try and clear it up a little, “Sounds perfect.” She exited the shop, turning around at the door to give Amélie one last little wave, and stood at the front door of Slipstream for a solid five minutes as she tried to process the last half hour of events. She fished out her phone and held in a shout of joy as she looked at Amélie’s phone number saved away in her contacts. 

She had added a little sunflower emoji next to her name. 

Wednesday was going to be quite the doozy.  

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yeah I actually proof-read this one (mostly)  
> Thanks for all the nice comments lads I really appreciate it!

Lena kept the sunflowers under lock and key. When she got back to her apartment that night the first thing she did was put them in a vase full of water and hoist them high on a shelf away from the stove. When she stood back to admire her responsible behavior, it turned out that they looked quite nice in her living room. Amélie had wrapped them in golden paper with a pastel blue ribbon tied around the outside which made Lena’s mind immediately think of summer. It was a pleasant sensation and she had half a mind to just keep the flowers for herself. 

Even though she took every precaution in the book, Lena still spent the rest of the night in a paranoid haze. She found her eyes drifting over to the flowers to make sure they were still there (and alive). She would adjust and then readjust the vase just in case it got too close to the edge. She didn’t want it to teeter off and shatter even though it was almost pushed against the wall at this point.   

Even after all that, she jolted awake all throughout the night from vivid nightmares of burning or wilted flowers lying on the ground and Amélie’s disappointed frown looking down at her. 

_ “If you cannot even take care of flowers how can I trust you to tattoo me, chérie?”  _

_ “There is a warrant for your arrest on the grounds of botanical cruelty, you have the right to remain silent-” _

_ “You have been sentenced to death-”   _

After about three hours of this, Lena finally swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palms. She trudged out into the kitchen to get a cup of water and hopefully calm herself down. She did her routine check-up on the flowers (which were still thankfully alive and flourishing) and downed a glass of cold water, slouching her way back to her room. She sat back down on her bed, eyes itching with sleepiness, and tried to get some rest before the oncoming work day. 

Which did not happen of course. She spent the rest of the night tossing and turning until her alarm went off at 6am. 

\--

 

“Happy birthday Winston.” Lena said flatly, robotically handing him the sunflowers. All three of her coworkers stared at her but nobody said a word. “What??” She demanded impatiently, knowing they were probably staring at the bags under her eyes. Honestly she looked like she had been doing hard drugs and listening to thrash metal all night. 

“No offense, but you kinda look like shit.” Hana snickered, trying to suppress a grin with her hand. Lena grumbled and stalked off towards her work station, not in the mood for banter. 

“Um, thanks for the flowers,” Winston said awkwardly, “How did you know sunflowers were my favorite?” Lena paused midstep, thinking back to the two ruined bouquets of chrysanthemums sitting at the bottom of the dumpster near her apartment. She was too tired to appreciate the apparent stroke of luck. 

“Call it managerial intuition,” She said with a tired smile, “Glad you like them.” Winston hurried off to put them in a vase of water and Lena put her head down on her desk, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. No more stressing about stupid flammable plants.  

“So, you look tired.” Hana said, peeking her head over the top of the cubicle.

“Hana please let me enjoy my relief in peace.” Lena groaned, not lifting her head from the desk, “The evil is finally vanquished.” 

“Lucio told me about the hell you went through to get those flowers.” Hana continued, ignoring Lena’s plea for silence, “Why didn’t you just get him something else and save money?” Lena felt her face heat up. Now she absolutely couldn’t look Hana in the face, she would never hear the end of it. 

“I’m stubborn.” She grunted shortly, hoping her curt tone would be enough to make Hana go away. 

“Weird because I’m sure it has to do with the hot lady that works across the street.” 

Lena’s head shot up and she tried her best to give Hana the angriest glare she could muster. But the remnants of the blush on her cheeks gave her away immediately. 

“Ah! I knew it!” Hana said, sticking her tongue out obnoxiously, “You’re such a sucker for a pretty face.”

“Keep your voice down,” Lena hissed, “Look, it’s not what you think. I just really wanted those flowers okay?”

“Yeah,  _ okay _ .” She scoffed, “And I’m actually from Mexico.” 

“Don’t be a pest.” Lena said sharply, shooing Hana away with her duster, “Make yourself useful and go tattoo something.” Hana sauntered off in a fit of smug giggles.

“Sure thing, Boss!,” She called over her shoulder, “I sure hope I don’t accidently fall in love with somebody!”

The day passed in a tired jumble of hours as Lena worked through her clients. Luckily nobody wanted anything spectacular which made it easier for her to finish early. She waved good-bye to her last customer of the day and ran a hand through her spiky hair. Oh God she was tired and half tempted to leave her work station in it’s current, chaotic state. 

But the sanitation regulation laws made Lena bend down and begin wiping every inch of her cubicle, desk, and everything else within reach. The buzzing of Lucio’s machine felt like sensory overload and his loud banter with his client knocked on her skull like a jackhammer. She stood, ready to beg for some peace and quiet, when movement out of the front window caught her eye. Lena peered into the darkness, squinting as she waited for the movement to happen again. Nothing. 

“You’re losing your mind Oxton.” She muttered to herself, tossing the used paper towels irritably into the trashcan which in turn knocked over a bottle of blue ink. It splattered against the wall and puddled under her desk. Lena stared at it for a moment.  

It took every ounce of self-control and professionalism to hold in the scream of frustration that bubbled up in her throat. Instead she sighed and bent down to pick up the bottle, feeling like that repressed emotion had just shaved five years off of her life.  

As Lena tramped over to the trashcan  _ again,  _ something caught her eye a second time. She threw down the bottle and walked straight up to the front window and strained her eyes against the rapidly falling darkness. This time she could barely make out the shape of a person hanging out on the sidewalk across the street under the unlit lamps. 

Lena couldn’t make heads or tails of the figure, whether they were male or female or anything really. She pressed further against the glass, not caring if Hana would give her a hard time later. The lamps would turn on any moment… Then she could see what she was dealing with. 

A moment later, the streetlight flickered to life, casting it’s yellowed glow onto the sidewalk.

There was nobody. Lena gaped at the empty space in disbelief, really starting to believe she was losing her mind from sleep deprivation. She did, however, notice that Gabe’s truck was gone which meant that Amélie was alone in the flower shop once again. 

Feeling anxious about the shadowy figure that may or may not have been a hallucination, Lena stayed by the window just in case they decided to make a surprise appearance. Well, if they even existed in the first place. She tapped her foot in a panicky sort of rhythm and waited for the door to open, eyes flashing back and forth across the landscape.

Then she saw it a third time, around the side of the building. A very small but noticeable amount of movement. The person seemed as if they were waiting to pounce, their body almost crouched down along the wall. Lena jumped up right as the front door of the flower shop opened and Amélie began to step outside. Without hesitation, she wrenched the front door of Slipstream open and bolted out into the street.

“WAAAAIT!” She bellowed, sprinting all the way across the road, not bothering to check for oncoming cars, and into the parking lot. Amélie froze mid step and looked absolutely dumbfounded. Lena skidded to a halt, pausing to catch her breath.

“Lena?” Amélie said in bewilderment, eyebrows furrowed. 

“Sorry!” Lena panted, “I didn’t mean to startle you.” She snapped up and ran to the side of the building where the predator had been waiting. Nothing now. Lena let out a sigh of relief, adrenaline still making her legs shake as she wobbled back to Amélie who looked completely confused.

“There was someone,” Lena said, pointing to the corner, “Hiding I think. Looked like they were waiting for you to come out.” Amélie looked truly alarmed now, dropping her bag and running over to the side of the building herself. 

“I think I scared em’ off.” Lena said with a hint of pride, “I have quite the fearsome shout you know.” But Amélie either didn’t hear her or was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to answer. She stared along the side of the building, face wrought with worry. She finally turned towards Lena, looking a little more composed. 

“Thank you, Lena.” She said genuinely, “Who knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come screaming like a banshee.” 

“A banshee? I was thinking it was more like a tiger’s roar-” She was cut off by Amélie who had pulled her into a hug. Lena’s brain malfunctioned for a moment before she returned the hug, heart racing and adrenaline firing back up. Though, the wobbling in her legs had nothing to do with that. 

By now, both Winston and Hana had come running over to see what the commotion was about. Amélie released her hold on Lena (much to her disappointment) and turned to greet the two who looked baffled.   

“What in the world just happened?” Winston asked, looking between Lena and Amélie.                        

“Yeah, I mean one moment Lena is glued to the window like a creep, the next she’s charging out the front door and screaming like an animal.” Hana said, gesturing widely to convey her confusion.

“Like a tiger.” Lena muttered quietly. 

“Lena saw someone hanging out by my shop.” Amélie explained calmly, “Someone who probably wanted to do me harm so she scared them off.” Winston and Hana exchanged a stone-faced glance and then burst into a fit of laughter. 

“What?!” Lena demanded, not wanted to be humiliated in front of Amélie who seemed to be smiling. Hana was on the ground, clutching her stomach and Winston had tears rolling down his chubby cheeks. Lena’s cheeks burned red.  

“You’re about as scary as a wet noodle!” Hana said through her giggles, driving them both back into howls of laughter. 

“I’m tough! I work out!” Lena tried to shout over them but her defense was drowned out by the volume of their laughs, “Amélie back me up!” She whirled around to find that even Amélie was snickering lightly. Winston helped Hana off the ground as they started walking back towards the shop.

“Make sure you warn us before you walk in!” Hana called, “We don’t want you scaring off the customers!” Lena shot them a middle finger, scowling. 

“Your friends are charming.” Amélie said, “They’re also tattoo artists?” 

“‘Friends’ that’s funny.” Lena grumbled, “No they’re not. Well technically Hana is, but she’s my apprentice so not quite yet. Winston is the financial manager.”

“Isn’t Winston the one you bought the flowers for?”

“Yeah. Bloody ungrateful if you ask me.”

Amélie glanced back towards the dark corner of the shop, biting her lip and looking worried. Lena put a hand on her shoulder, trying to convey some sort of comfort. She knew that whoever had been hiding there truly frightened Amélie even if she was trying to put on a brave face.   

“Hey,” Lena said soothingly, “It’s gonna be alright, they’re gone now.” Amélie grimaced. 

“He’ll be back.” She said very quietly. Lena almost missed it. 

“Any idea who it could’ve been?” She asked even though she had a pretty good idea who Amélie was talking about. There was a pause before Amélie let out a harsh sigh, picking her bag up from off the ground where she had dropped it. 

“No.” She finally said, “No idea.” Lena didn’t push the subject. 

“Lotta loony people around this area.” She said, trying to lighten the mood, “Just the other day I saw a shirtless guy wearing a pig mask walking around the shopping center.” 

“Oh yes I saw him too,” Amélie said, “Bought a whole bouquet of daisies from me.” It was quiet for a moment.

“Well, I better let you go.” Lena said awkwardly, shuffling her feet. 

“But I will see you tomorrow for the appointment.” Amélie said, “Thank you for everything, I owe you.” She gave Lena a pat on the shoulder and entered her car, driving off with a wave. 

As Lena watched her go, one thing was going through her mind. If she ever caught that mysterious figure skulking around again, she’d bust their kneecaps just like Gabe said she should.    


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little shorter than usual but I wanted to get it out there.

Lena had never been nervous about going to work before. When something like tattooing just naturally clicks, there’s no reason to be apprehensive about what the day could have in store. But here she was, fingers hesitating over the front door handle of Slipstream early in the morning. It was stupid really. Lena had dealt with very attractive customers without a hitch in the past, why should this one be such an extreme difference? 

_ Remember that accent she has?That smoldering FRENCH accent?  _

“Hush!” Lena hissed at herself, yanking the door open and marching into the shop, punching herself in the chest to try and slow her heartbeat. She forcefully pulled out her tools and began to set up her art space in a jittery state. Her shaky hands knocked over her ink bottles several times before she stood back and took a breather. 

Lena inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, and breathed it back out through her nose. Slightly more relaxed and blood pressure no longer through the roof, Lena finished her set up and went to fire up the coffee maker that was probably as old as she was. 

_ Yeah because caffeine will help those jitters.  _

“God you’re being a little shit today!” Lena growled at her brain, stabbing at the buttons on the coffee machine and grabbing a mug that said “black coffee is just bean water” from the break room. She waited patiently as the machine spluttered out the boiling liquid, wheezing and groaning as it did. Any day now that thing was going to just give up and die on them. Which would be a tragedy because they literally could not afford to replace it.

“I smell coffee!” Lucio called cheerfully as he walked into the shop, throwing his bag down by his desk and removing his headphones from his ears. Lena stepped aside to make room so he could pour a cup. He hummed pleasantly as he waited for his mug (“I love Mondays”) to fill, unwrapping the checkered scarf from around his shoulders.   

“Hey when did you get the new ink?” Lena asked, noticing the fresh piece of art on his neck.

“Got it done last night.” He shrugged dismissively, pouring a packet of sugar into his coffee, “Sorta a spontaneous thing, not really a huge deal.” It was a cartoonish green frog wearing big headphones with its tongue sticking out of a big, goofy smile. Lena whistled in admiration. New School was one of her favorite tattoo styles, although she was only average at it herself.  

“It looks great.” She said, admiring all the aspects of linework and shading within the piece, “Who did it?” Lucio sipped from his mug, seemingly mulling over his answer for a moment.    

“Hana.” 

Lena’s grin quickly dropped into a frown and she leaned forward, putting her hands on her hips like an angry mother. Lucio immediately withered under the intimidating glare.

“You  _ know  _ that’s illegal.” Lena scolded, “She’s not supposed to be tattooing while I’m not on the premises to watch over her work.” 

“I know I know.” Lucio said defensively, taking a quick step away, “It’s not a big deal though even you saw how good it looks. She did a great job.” 

“That’s not the point!” Lena said in exasperation, “You shouldn’t be encouraging this! Hana could get into a lot of trouble!” 

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, counting to 10 one or five times before looking back up. 

“We’re barely keeping this place afloat. I can’t have you two just squandering our resources,” Lena said, “If this happens again we’re going to have some serious issues.” 

Lucio looked genuinely apologetic, staring guiltily at the floor while stirring his coffee absentmindedly. Lena turned and stormed back over to her desk, really not wanting to deal with this issue. She hated  _ hated  _ getting angry at her friends but at the end of the day  _ she  _ was the boss. And sometimes the boss had to show some authority or risk not being taken seriously. 

She tapped her fingers on her desk impatiently as she waited for Hana to show up so she could get the same beratement Lucio just received. But either Hana was running seriously late or was warned not to show up to work. Lena shot an accusing look at Lucio who hid behind his sketchbook, clearly trying to cover up his guilty conscience. 

Well the day was off to a shitty start. 

Winston bustled in a few moments later, looking slightly confused at the tense atmosphere of the shop. Lena shook her head when he opened his mouth to ask what was going on. She continued to wait for her young apprentice to show her face and humbly receive the well-deserved lecture that was sure to come.  

It was almost 11 when she finally heard Hana’s high pitched giggle from somewhere outside. Lena straightened up in her chair and tried to look as serious as possible. Arms crossed, scowl in place, hell yeah she looked intimidating. Hana was about to get the worst scolding of her life-  

But it wasn’t just Hana that came through the door. Amélie walked in alongside her, seemingly laughing at a joke they shared. Lena stood up, trying and failing to keep the surprise out of her stern expression. 

“Oh  _ heeeeey  _ Boss,” Hana greeted with a wide smile, partially hiding behind Amélie, “Look, I ran into Amé outside the shop and she said she has an appointment with you so it looks like you’ll be  _ pretty  _ busy.” 

“You did that on purpose!” Lena accused, sounding a lot sulkier than she intended, “Don’t think you’re off the hook just because you used the buddy system!”

“Safety in numbers!” Hana winked, slinking around them both before slipping into her cubicle. Lena seethed for a moment before turning back to Amélie. She looked quite amused at the outburst. Lena straightened back up and cleared her throat apologetically. 

“Uh, sorry about that.” She said, trying to sound professional, “I got a little heated.” 

“Like a wet noodle.” Amélie snickered.

“Yeah yeah,” Lena grumbled, motioning for Amélie to follow her into the back, “Let’s get this started.” Lena dropped into her chair and grabbed her pencil set and sketchbook from the shelf above her desk. She flipped through the pages until she found a blank sheet. Amélie took a seat on the tattoo chair and crossed her legs, looking around at the shop’s many decorations. It took all of Lena’s remaining willpower to keep her eyes steered onto the blank page and off those perfect legs.  

“So, what am I going to permanently stab into your body on this fine day?” Lena said sweetly, pencil poised above the paper, “Something with flowers I’m assuming?” 

“Dead wrong.” Amélie answered with a smirk, “I would like a spider.” Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“What kind of spider?” 

“A black widow.” 

“And where would you like this black widow to weave her web?” 

Amélie thought for a moment. 

“My back.” She said, “My entire back.” 

“That’s pretty bold,” Lena said in surprise, “Go big or go home I suppose.” She looked down at her sketch pad and began to visualize the black widow, jotting down a few outlines to get her started. She could see the jet black body with the bloodred hourglass shape, the eight crooked legs and the curved fangs filled with deadly poison that could easily kill a grown man. Oh yes she could see it now. 

“Ohh this is gonna be good.” Lena muttered excitedly, scratching down little details to the rough sketch. She almost forgot the presence of her client. 

“Should I have a seat in the waiting area?” Amélie asked, “I hate to be a distraction.” Lena’s eyes very briefly flickered down to the crossed legs in front of her. Yes, distraction. 

“Uh sure, it’s probably more comfortable than that chair.” Lena said quickly, “There’s a couple portfolios up there if you want to browse my work.” Amélie took a seat on the worn leather couch and began to flip through one of the black scrapbooks with Lena’s brand logo on the front.

She turned back to her sketchbook and began to outline the rough scratches of her sketch with thick bold lines. Black widows, known for their infamous and macabre habit of eating their male counterparts after their mating ritual, always held a point of interest for Lena. They were creatures that sounded like something out of a fairy tale or some kind of horror story in her opinion. She glanced over at Amélie who was flipping through the portfolio with a mildly interested expression. Lena wondered if she ever considered going “black widow” on her ex-husband. 

The thought of him had been nagging the back of Lena’s mind ever since Gabe had let the story slip that day at the flower shop. While she knew it was really none of her business, she couldn’t help but wonder why he wouldn’t leave Amélie alone. Was it a love thing? A revenge thing? An obsession? It was probably the latter. Some people just don’t know how to handle breakups. 

Still, his constant presence seemed to trouble Amélie who clearly just wanted to be rid of him. Lena wondered how long it would take until the situation reached a boiling point and somebody ended up hurt. She took all of this into consideration as she finished up the final touches on her design. 

The tattoo would start at the base of her neck and end right above the hips. The black widow looked realistic but not grotesque, its eight legs stretched out along the edges of the paper. She even included a little web in the background and some roses along the sides, if Amélie would want them that is. Lena felt a burst of nervous excitement as she walked over to the waiting area, ready to reveal her grand design. 

“So, since this is going to be permanent you have to  _ promise  _ to tell me if you don’t like it.” Lena said seriously, holding the sketchbook against her chest, “I swear I won’t be sad or disappointed or anything like that.” 

Well, she’d be a little disappointed. She considered this to be one of her best works. Amélie crossed her heart with a playful grin.

“Let’s see it.” She said, turning to give her undivided attention. Lena flipped the sketchbook over anxiously. Amélie said nothing as she studied it, keeping a frustratingly neutral expression on her face as her eyes swept over the page. The suspense was weighing heavily on Lena who was seriously starting to fear that Amélie didn’t like the design. Her gaze went back and forth rapidly from the sketchbook to Amélie who’s face refused to give away any hints as to how she felt about the drawing. 

“You look worried.” Amélie said with a smirk. 

“Do you like it?” Lena asked apprehensively, bouncing slightly in place. 

“Well,” Amélie hummed, “I’m sorry to tell you this chérie.”

Lena’s bouncing immediately stopped.

“Tell me what?” Lena practically pleaded. Amélie took another infuriatingly long moment to answer. 

“I’m sorry but I absolutely love it.” She finally said, “It’s gorgeous.” 

Lena let out a huge breath, almost sagging into the nearby armchair. 

“Boy you really had me going.” She said weakly, “For a solid minute I thought I had failed the tattoo masters.” 

“On the contrary, I think they would be very pleased.” 

Lena blushed, stuttering out a few blundering thank yous and feeling extremely pleased with herself. 

“If you’ll go have a seat in the chair I’m going to go print out a stencil of this.” Lena said. She practically floated to the back of the shop and fed the sketch into the machine. Her jitters from earlier were all but a distant memory as she waited. In fact, she felt pretty excited to do this tattoo. It would definitely be one for the portfolio. The printer wheezed and groaned but finally spat out Lena’s stencil which she grabbed in a hurry, accidentally smudging it. She cursed under her breath and punched in the code for a new one. The printer groaned as if in agony and Lena felt a twinge of worry that it was going to breathe it’s last breath before she got her stencil. 

“Such a sucker for a pretty face.”

Hana had walked up beside Lena with her own sketch ready to be stenciled. She had humor in her smile but it wasn’t mischievous or mocking. Lena’s anger from earlier had burned out along with her nerves but it didn’t mean that Hana was off the hook. 

“You’re still in trouble.” Lena said, turning back to the printer, “You’re going to be cleaning this place top to bottom until your apprenticeship is over. Lucio too.” Hana’s grin dropped.

“That’s like four years!” She said in outrage, “You can’t punish both of us for that long!”

“What was it that you said earlier?” Lena tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Safety in numbers?” Now it was her turn to look smug as Hana gaped at her. Lena grabbed her stencil and gave Hana a pat on the shoulder as she started to walk back towards her work area. She briefly heard Hana mutter “Did I just get played?” under her breath. 

Lena walked into the cubicle, fresh stencil in hand and tattoo machine ready to go. She rolled up her sleeves and snapped on a pair of black latex gloves. 

“Well, let’s get started.”                  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are interested in writing or drawing commissions message me on my Tumblr (gummy-the-ghost.tumblr.com) and we can work something out :)  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway I'm American and have no idea how the RAF, Korean, or Brazilian military works. So if you see something that's completely wrong, just roll with it, cool? Cool.

Lena was fired up! The great power of the artistic gods burned within her! She was ready to get out there and tattoo the greatest black widow that the world had ever seen. At least that’s how she felt on the inside. On the outside her hands were hovering just over Amélie’s bare back and her palms felt slightly clammy on top of it all. Boy she was a nervous wreck. Something just felt…  _ wrong  _ about putting her hands on Amélie’s exposed skin. Almost like it was way too intimate, well for Lena at least. Amélie looked like she was totally relaxed as she lounged on the special cushioned table Lena used for back pieces.  

She swallowed hard, finally dipping the tattoo machine into the jet black ink. But her hands just refused to move. 

“You sounded so ready a few moments ago.” Amélie said teasingly, looking over her shoulder at Lena, “Getting cold feet, chérie?” 

“Of course not, love!” Lena said forcing herself to rest one hand on the part of the back she was going to tattoo first. It send shockwaves up her arm and holy hell she was touching Amélie’s bare skin. She fired up the machine, feeling her nerves finally cooling down now that the worst was over. 

“Get ready because this is going to sting.” Lena warned before finally touching the needle to the skin. Amélie let out a small hiss of air at the first contact and Lena felt the muscles tense underneath her palm. Lena paused, feeling slightly worried.

“Keep going.” Amélie said, letting out a breath of air, “I’m fine.” 

“Bit of a shock isn’t it?” She said, continuing to outline the first of the spider’s eight legs, “I almost leapt out of my seat when I got my first tattoo done. My best mate had to hold me down.” 

“Looks like you got over that fear.” Amélie said with a chuckle, eyeing Lena’s colorful tattoo sleeves. 

“Oh give me a break I was only fifteen.” Lena huffed with a smile. It was one of the dumbest mistake she had ever made. She squirmed and shook so much that what was supposed to be a flower ended up looking like a poorly drawn plate of black spaghetti. She had covered the wretched thing years ago. 

“Ooh what a little rebel.” Amélie said looking impressed. 

“More like stupid.” Lena rolled her eyes at her past self’s shenanigans, “I got super into tattoo culture when I was young and did a lot of stupid shit to try and prove myself.” 

“Oh? Like what? Besides the tattoo of course.”

Lena paused for a moment, thinking back. Oh God there was so much to choose from but none were something she wanted to share. Lena had lived most of her teenage years in a nonstop haze of moving from place to place, sometimes sleeping outside, and never slowing down enough to think her decisions through. Impulse was the name of the game and she was the all-star player.

“Well, this one time when I was seventeen I was living on the couch of someone’s apartment,” Lena started, “We got really drunk and she asked me to tattoo her arm with a needle and some cigarette ash.” Lena felt shamed saying it outloud and was really hoping Amélie wasn’t the type to judge too harshly. But she look amused. The muscles in her back had unclenched and relaxed as Lena spoke. Talking to clients often helped the whole process go smoother. It was one of Lena’s favorite parts of the job.   

“And you did it?” She asked. 

“Yep,” Lena said with a grimace, “It got so infected the doctors thought she was going to lose her arm. I never saw her again after that. Left my stuff on the doorstep. Out in the rain, mind you.”  

“It’s amazing how far you’ve come.” Amélie said, looking up at the art prints hanging around the cubicle, “When did you start tattooing?” 

“Illegally, I started when I was fourteen. Legally, I started my apprenticeship at twenty-two. Though there wasn’t much left they could teach me.” Lena shrugged, “And now here I am.” 

“I appreciate the humble beginnings of your work.” 

Lena moved her machine to the outline on the spider’s second leg which ended partly on the ribs. This caused Amélie to sharply inhale and tense up again.

“Sorry, should’ve warned you.” Lena said apologetically, “The ribs are one of the worst places to stick a needle.” Amélie let out a quiet chuckle. 

“Trust me I know that.” She said, resting her head on the crook of her elbow, “I watched my ex-husband get his ribs done many years ago.” A chill went down Lena’s spine at the casual mention of Amélie’s elusive ex-spouse. She wasn’t sure if this was a green light to bring him up in conversation, or if it was just a passing thought in Amélie’s mind that she had no intention of expanding on. Lena had so many questions about him. What was his name? Why did you get divorced? Why won’t he leave you alone? And  _ why  _ is he possibly stalking you outside of your shop like a psycho? She bit her lip to try and force her brain to shut up and focus. It didn’t really work. 

“Oh yeah?” Lena said casually, trying to seem like she didn’t really care much about him, “What did he get?” 

“A repugnant portrait of a lion,” Amélie said, wrinkling her nose, “I hated it from the moment the artist put the needle in.” 

“I bet he only paid like $100 for it.” Lena said, noting the disgust in Amélie’s tone, “Was it done in a garage?” 

“It was a shed actually,” Amélie hummed in thought, “And I think it was only $55. Gérard was always such a cheapskate.” 

Gérard hm? Lena stored this information in the back of her mind for later. It was a start at least. She tsked along with Amélie’s story, trying not to seem distracted. 

“I’ve heard that bad tattoos can ruin relationships.” Lena said, “So I honestly don’t blame you.” Amélie didn’t answer and Lena panicked, thinking that she had crossed a line or several with her remark. 

“I wish that had been the only thing wrong with him.” Amélie finally muttered after a few moments. Now Lena just felt plain guilty. She hadn’t meant to go around kicking up old memories like that. She figured that not many of them were pleasant. 

“I’m sorry. That was out of line.” She mumbled, reaching over to dip her machine into the ink once again. Well, she was never opening her big mouth again. 

“Don’t apologize, It’s fine.” Amélie said, “I don’t mind jokes at his expense. In fact, I find them quite amusing.” 

Lena continued to ink the lines in silence; the only sounds came from the speakers around the shop, which were playing some of Hana’s K-pop tunes, and the occasional laughter floating from Lucio’s work station. By now, Lena had all of the left legs of the spider filled in so she rolled her chair to the other side and prepared to work on the right. She took full notice of Amélie staring at her with those amber eyes but tried to ignore it. 

“You look like you have questions.” Amélie remarked, running a strand of hair through her fingers. Lena hesitated, carefully choosing her words inside her head before letting herself speak.

“Well,” She started, looking anywhere but Amélie’s face, “I did have a few questions about last night.” Thankfully Amélie didn’t react in any way, continuing to thread stray hairs through her hands as if neither of them had even spoken. 

“What do you want to know?” She finally said, turning back towards Lena. 

“I-It sort of seemed, I mean I’m not accusing you or anything of course, it just appeared that you knew who that person was outside of your shop.” Lena babbled, “Again, I’m not trying to pry into your life it’s just general curiosity and-” 

“You talk a lot when you get nervous.” Amélie said, cutting her off, “But...yes I do know that person.” 

“Is...is it Gérard?” Lena asked, eyes wide. Amélie stared at her. “I only know that because Gabe told me! I swear I’m not stalking you!” 

“Gabe,” Amélie sighed, “That man is the biggest gossip I’ve ever met. He’s worse than an old woman I swear.” 

“I wasn’t trying to find out,” Lena said, “He just sort of let it slip when I was buying a fresh round of flowers a-and I just sort of made the mental connection.” She felt like she was violating a part of Amélie’s private life as she spoke. Her voice trailed off, really hoping she wasn’t digging herself into a giant hole. 

“I don’t blame you,” Amélie said reassuringly, “I hid the truth because I didn’t want you getting stuck in my problems.” 

“On the contrary,” Lena said with a wicked smile, basking in the relief that Amélie wasn’t angry with her, “This kind of business used to be right up my alley. Girls would come from miles to have me beat up their ex-boyfriends.” She thought to the baseball bat hidden away in the back room. She felt a sudden itch to give it a swing or two...or five… maybe even ten.   

“I appreciate it but you don’t want to mess with him.” Amélie said solemnly, “He was a trained soldier, a deadly one at that.” 

Lena let out a large scoff, rolling her eyes heavily. Amélie looked surprised at such an adamant dismissal.

“I could take him, easy.” She said cockily, patting her bicep, “Just give him the ol’ one-two and he’s in the dirt. Then I’ll let my boots do the talking.” 

“You seem very confident in your fighting skills,” Amélie frowned, “But I’m serious, you don’t want to cross him. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt.”

“Well we’ll just see if he can handle a retired member of the Royal Air Force.” Lena said with a smirk, “I haven’t been in a good scrap since my days on base.” Amélie looked dumbfounded for a second before her expression turned more towards entertained. 

“You’re the last person I would’ve expected to be military.” She said, waving a palm, “Especially now that I know what a rebel child you were.” 

“I get that alot,” Lena chuckled, “Taking orders was never really my forte, but I had to turn my life around somehow.” She gave a wistful sigh as she filed in another line of ink, “I miss it a lot some days.” 

Piloting was Lena’s biggest passion, aside from tattooing of course, and she had a knack for it. The days she spent flying jets over the oceans with her squadmates were some of her happiest and she often missed them dearly. You just couldn’t see such a blue sky from the ground. 

“Actually, everyone who works in the shop is retired military.” Lena noted, “Except for Hana, she’s still active. Stationed down the road.” 

“Only for a few more months!” Hana called from somewhere in the shop, “Then I’m free as the wind!” 

“Your timeline is getting confusing,” Amélie said with a laugh, “You go from juvenile delinquent, to finely disciplined soldier, to punk tattoo artist?” 

“I know I know,” Lena grinned as she started on the body of the spider, “It’s a bit muddled.” 

“I’d love to hear it sometime if you don’t mind.” Amélie said, resting her head back on her arms, “Your life sounds fascinating.” Lena’s heart rate skyrocketed and her tattoo machine almost slipped out of her hands. Did that mean that Amélie wouldn’t say no to spending more time together? Was she hinting that she  _ wants  _ to spend more time together? Like a  _ date?  _ Lena knew her brain was running wild but she was a hopeless optimist at heart.  __

“Maybe someday,” Lena shrugged, “For now, let’s get this outline finished.” 

 

\---

 

It took a total of two more hours to completely fill in the outline of the spider. Two hours in which only a few words were passed between them. Lena had gone into full focus mode and Amélie seemed to be dozing off on the cushioned table which was amazing considering that she was being repeatedly stabbed. Adding the final touches, Lena sat back in her chair with a sigh, flexing her aching hand. She stood up and studied the tattoo from top to bottom, feeling extremely satisfied. 

God it looked amazing, and it wasn’t even finished yet. Amélie stretched her arms out in front of her, also letting out a sigh of relief. 

“You’re gonna love this,” Lena said, “You can hop up and take a look at it if you want.” She pointed to the big mirror in the corner of her workspace. Amélie rose from the table, holding her T-shirt in front of her chest, and took a long look at her new tattoo. 

“It’s...incredible.” She breathed, “ _ C’est merveilleux…”  _

Lena puffed up with pride, trying not to look  _ too  _ pleased with herself but it was hard not to. It was honestly one of the best tattoos she had produced in her career so far. And again, it wasn’t even finished yet. There was so much more potential. 

“Uhm, I’ll wait by the counter so you can put your shirt back on.” Lena said, trying not to dwell on what she just said. She wished the context was different. She turned and trooped over to the register, punching in some numbers to keep her dirty mind clean. Amélie walked over a few minutes later, looking happier than Lena had ever seen her. Her smile was infectiously radiant and Lena couldn’t help but grin back. 

“I take it you’re happy with it?” She asked. 

“Absolutely, I’ll pay whatever you want for it.”

“Since it’s only the outline it’ll run at about $250.” Lena said, “The coloring is a separate charge.” Amélie paid in cash, even throwing in an extra $100 in the tip jar. Lena blanched and began to stutter about how she couldn’t accept such a large tip.  

“I  _ want  _ to.” Amélie said over Lena’s spluttering, “Trust me, money is no issue.” 

“Y-you have no idea how much that will help the shop.” Lena said, thinking of all the fancy inks they could purchase with an extra $100, maybe even a new stencil printer. She could barely contain her excitement. 

“So, when should I come in to get this colored?” Amélie asked, plucking one of Lena’s business cards from its display. 

“Anytime after two weeks.” Lena said. 

“Aw such a long time to be apart, chérie.” Amélie pouted, “I shall miss your lovely face.” 

“Flattery won’t make it heal any faster.” Lena said with a laugh, even though she was secretly wishing it did. 

“Then I will see you in two weeks.” Amélie said, “ _ Jusqu’a la prochaine fois _ .” She exited the shop with a little wave before crossing the street back over to Talon. Lena waved back slowly, feeling dazed with happiness. She felt like little pink hearts were popping up around her like in a cartoon. 

“That’s so cute it’s disgusting,” Hana said, sticking out her tongue, “Just go make out with her already!” 

“Shouldn’t you be sweeping?” Lena shot back sweetly, earning a scowl from her apprentice. She grumbled and stalked off towards the broom closet. 

Oh how Lena wished she could take Hana’s advice.

“One day,” She muttered, closing the cash register, “One day.”      


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to give a huge thanks to everyone who's left comments, kudos, anything else. You guys are great thanks!
> 
> hmu up tumblr if anyone is interested in writing or drawing commissions: gummy-the-ghost.tumblr.com

_ “But how will I live without you my love?” _

_ “You will, nothing can break our bond, neither time nor distance.”  _

_ “My love for you is unextinguishable.” _

_ “Oh, Robert, kiss me!.”  _

_ *Smooching*  _

 

Lena sighed and snapped off the TV, nestling deeper into the couch, burying her face into the cushions. 

“What a crock of rubbish.” She muttered, sounding cynical and unlike herself. She wasn’t sure why she was even watching the romance channel in the first place. It was full of nothing but cheesy, sappy, disgusting movies that put a sour taste in Lena’s mouth most of the time. But, It was a little quiet and a little lonely in her dark apartment and she wanted things to brighten up just a bit. However, that was definitely not the correct way to do it. She missed the brightness of the sunflowers sitting on the shelf the night before.

Staring into the quiet darkness, Lena sighed and rolled over onto her back. She still felt nagged about the events that had unfolded the other night. She didn’t get much information about Gérard from Amélie but she knew enough to be wary of him for sure. She imagined him spending his time, waiting, watching for Amélie to take a wrong turn somewhere so he could snatch her up in his filthy, dirty-

Anger flared up in Lena’s chest for the hundredth time that night. Oh right,  _ that’s  _ why she had put on the romance channel. She hoped the disgust at the horrid writing and acting would drown out the rumbling anger that wouldn’t seem to fully fade away. She sat quietly until the roar boiled down to a lingering whisper. Even that buzzed around her head irritably until her apartment felt too stifling to stay in any longer. 

It was a little past midnight but Lena grabbed her jacket and headed out the door anyway. She needed air and a place to think, or rather not to think. She stepped out into the chilly, but not quite cold, night and started her aimless walk down the empty sidewalk. Most of the streets were quietly deserted since it was a weeknight and many who lived in this district were daily workers. It was perfect. 

Lena stalked down the road, hands jammed in her pockets, shivering slightly when the wind blew through the worn out parts of her jacket. The streetlights that actually worked were casting their choppy, yellowish glow over the crumbly concrete. In all honesty, this wasn’t exactly the safest neighborhood to be taking a lovely nighttime stroll but Lena had confidence in her ability to hold her own in a fight. Well, at least she hoped that would be enough. Luckily the housing got nicer and nicer the farther she walked and soon she found herself near the shopping center where her shop was. Every bright light was still lit though all the shops were closed, except for the bars scattered around the exterior.  

“Better not walk around there by myself,” Lena muttered to herself, “It’ll look like I’m trying to nick something.”

Instead she headed to one of the pubs nearby where the joyous sound of laughter and glasses clinking was most inviting. She gave the bouncer (who’s clothes vaguely resembled a cowboy’s) a slight nod as she walked inside. The pub was crowded but not too crowded. Just enough people for the atmosphere to be upbeat and cheerful without feeling cramped. Lena took a seat at the bar and ordered her usual pint of beer, downing half the moment it was set in front of her. 

Five more pints and some liquor on the side, Lena had completely forgotten about her anger from earlier. All she knew is that she was warm and completely happy as she chatted with the bouncer who had come inside for a break. 

“Hey another round for me and my new buddy here!” The bouncer called to the bartender who gave him a stern look. 

“Is that wise Jesse?” He said, eyeing Lena who swayed slightly on her stool, “She looks like she’s about to fall over.”

“Nonesene! She’s as right as rain!” Jesse hollered exuberantly, slapping Lena on the shoulder, making her sway even more. 

“Yup!” She agreed, not quite sure what she was agreeing to, “I’m rain as right!” 

“Fine, but last round. Got it?” He warned, reluctantly grabbing two glasses from the wall behind him and filling them to the brim. 

“You’re the best darlin’.” Jesse said lovingly, kissing the bartender’s hand before clinking his glass against Lena’s. The bartender rolled his eyes but looked pleased as he rolled up the sleeves of his button down shirt so he could clean some mugs. 

“Hey!” Lena burst out, “I love your tattoo where did you get it?” 

He seemed surprised by the outburst but answered mildly, “One of my relatives did it.” 

“Hanzo’s family is very traditional.” Jesse explained nonchalantly, “You get the family tattoo when you’re like fourteen or something.”

“I was seventeen.” Hanzo corrected tersely, “And it’s a very important part of our culture.” 

“Well if you ever need a touch up my shop is down the street.” Lena said, taking another large gulp of her drink. Her vision was becoming fuzzier and the voices around her became nothing more than an aggravating buzz in her ears. She felt a hand on her shoulder and a distant voice but she couldn’t quite understand what it was asking. 

“Did you drive here?” Another voice asked more clearly in her ear. 

“I...walked.” She managed to choke out, “Nice night you know.” More muffled, barely legible questions. 

Her phone? Yeah sure why not. Lena pulled it from her pocket and waved it around until somebody took it. Her cheek hit the cool counter-top of the bar and that was going to be it. She was history, toast, completely wrecked. People were still talking but now she was only picking up chopped versions of the sentences. 

“..should we call...?”

“...this name...emoji…”

“...that means friends right…”

“...Just call it before she passes out…”

“Yes...Hello?”

“Lena Oxton?” 

It was becoming too much. Lena wanted desperately for things to be quiet so she could just lay here and sleep. And they did for a few moments. It was quite peaceful and Lena was well on her way to being totally unconscious when someone began to shake her shoulder. 

“Whaaaaat.” She whined, refusing to open her eyes. 

“It’s time to go now,” A patient voice said gently into her ear, “Come on I’m taking you home.” 

“I  _ am  _ home.” Lena protested, waving the stranger away, “I’m on my couch watching the romance channel.” 

“Strange, because this is definitely the inside of a pub.” The voice said and Lena felt herself being pulled from her seat. 

“Alright alright I’ll go with you.” She muttered as an arm went securely around her waist to help her stand, “But it’s only because you smell nice. Like flowers.” 

The scene changed every time Lena blinked. Jesse saying good-bye with a jaded Hanzo standing off to the side. 

Blink. 

The outside of the brightly lit shopping center.

Blink.  

The inside of a car that looked vaguely familiar. 

Blink.

This time it was totally dark but Lena could feel the rumble of the engine and the smooth movement of the car. She stirred, sitting up slightly to look out the window. Streetlights passed by in a yellow blur but she couldn’t tell where in the world she might be. There was music playing very quietly from the car radio, some kind of punk music but in a different language.

“Where am I?” Lena croaked, “Am I being kidnapped?” 

“On the contrary,” The driver said with an amused laugh that sounded like wind chimes, “I am rescuing you.” Lena looked around blearily, taking another glance out the window.

“This is my neighborhood.” She said dimly. 

“Yes I got you that far, but you’ll have to show me which apartment is yours.” The driver said. Lena felt a soft hand on her cheek, “Don’t fall back asleep.” 

“I won’t.” Lena slurred, head slumping back against the seat. She fought so hard but could still feel herself dozing off. She became aware again when the car engine turned off and the overhead lights switched on, nearly frying away Lena’s eyes. She once again felt herself being lifted from her seat, a secure hand around her waist. 

“So, what floor?” The mysterious savior asked. 

“First floor.” Lena said, barely able to keep her balance, “Second door on the right.” She was being led slowly and she was very grateful for that. Once misstep and she was going to be eating the tile flooring of the lobby. 

“Keys?” 

“Back pocket.” 

There was rummaging and the jingling of keys a moment later, plus the familiar squeak of her front door opening. They made their way slowly across the hardwood floors until Lena was deposited onto the couch. God it was soft. It took her a few moments to realize that she had just let a complete stranger into her house. 

Well she didn’t own anything nice enough for stealing anything. The TV maybe. Even that was a couple years outdated from the newest model. 

“Hey,” Lena said slowly, “If you’re gonna rob me at least leave my game system.” The person walked out from the kitchen with a tall glass of water which she handed to Lena. 

There was a small chuckle, “I’m not going to rob you. Besides, my TV is nicer.”

Lena felt a cool, gentle hand on her cheek again as she took a few sips of the water.

“I’m really sleepy.” She said in a haze, “You can stay here if you want. I’ve got a comfy armchair over there.” The water was lifted from her hand and set on the nearby table, then the stranger threw a blanket over Lena. She already felt half-asleep as she settled more comfortably into the cushions. 

“Sleep well, chérie.” The voice said in Lena’s ear, and for the briefest moment, she swore that she felt a pair of lips on her forehead. Then the voice drifted away. It took Lena a moment to process but she sat bolt upright and stared around her now empty apartment. 

“Amélie?” 

No answer. Lena fell back again and drifted off to sleep for good. 

 

\---

 

Why was it always the blinding sun that played the alarm clock on hangover mornings? Lena could feel it warm on her skin but she was afraid to open her eyes and face it. It was probably going to hurt. A lot. 

She rolled onto her side, expecting to feel the other side of her bed, but instead went tumbling onto the hard floor. Lena’s eyes popped open and she let out a surprised gasp, staring up at the ceiling of her living room. 

What?  

She sat up, rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head as she looked around in confusion. She didn’t usually make a habit of sleeping on the couch, but some nights it was the closest thing to pass out on. However, the journey home from the pub was a mystery to her at the moment. She looked down to find that she was still in the same shirt and jeans from the night before but her jacket was hanging on it’s regular hook by the front door.   

“What the bloody hell…” She croaked, suddenly becoming aware of the dry patches on her tongue. Somehow there was a tall glass of water waiting for her on the coffee table. Lena pounced on it, draining it in only a couple gulps. She hoped the hydration would help jog her memory into working order so she could figure out what the hell happened the night before. 

Okay so, leisurely night stroll.

Shopping center.

Pub.

Heavy drinking.

Cowboy bouncer and his bartender boyfriend/fiance/husband...Jesse and Hanzo? 

Sounded right.

After that was quite the blurry mess of faces, voices, and flashing streetlamps. Someone had to have picked her up from that bar. But who… Lena dug around in her pockets for her phone and almost had a heart attack when it was nowhere to be found. If she lost it she was screwed since buying a new one was way out of budget. She jumped up from the floor, ready to panic, when she noticed it sitting on the counter next to a folded piece of paper.

Lena tapped the middle button, a few new messages from Winston and Lucio but nothing out of the ordinary. She picked up the note and unfolded it. 

 

_ I hope you are feeling better by the time you read this. I put your keys in the dish by the door and hung your coat on the rack. Drink plenty of water and come see me when you feel up to it. I would like to talk.  _

_ -Amélie _

_ P.S. You say very cute things when you’re drunk  _

 

Lena stared at the noted for a long time. There was a powerful mixture of nausea and humiliation in her stomach.

It was Amélie.

Amélie who picked her up from the bar and dragged her nearly lifeless carcass home. But...how? How would she have known that Lena was drunk and needed a ride and- 

Jesse. 

Lena slapped a hand against her face, letting out a horridly miserable groan. Jesse must have called Amélie, assuming she was one of Lena’s close friends. She must have been on top of the “recently called” list due to their appointment plans. Which probably made it seem like they talked regularly. And, for some godawful reason she couldn’t explain, Amélie actually showed up and took on the responsibility of being Lena’s babysitter for the night. She willingly shouldered the burden of taking home a drunken idiot with almost no functioning motor skills who could barely be considered a friend. 

Lena buried her face in her hands, fighting down another urge to scream. 

She was never going to live this down. She would have to close the tattoo shop, move to the next city over and start a new life under a new name. Leah Boxson. Yeah that sounded good. 

“Okay chill, you’re being dramatic.” Lena scolded herself, taking a deep breath and looking over the note again. Amélie definitely didn’t seem angry. And she wanted to “talk” which sounded okay? The P.S. note was what was really nagging at Lena. What sort of terrible, embarrassing things did she let slip under the influence?

This was all just way too much to try and figure out herself. She had no other choice but to go see Amélie and have her fill in all the hazy blanks her brain refused to fill in. Throwing on a fresh shirt and grabbing her jacket, Lena left her apartment with a raging headache and a growing pit in her stomach.   

  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit shorter than usual but I think you all will enjoy it nonetheless ;)

The flower shop had to be cursed. Or hexed. Or something that has to do with magic and voodoo. Either way, there was something about it that made sure Lena’s heart was always pounding when she was about to enter. She couldn’t remember a time when she went into the shop feeling genuinely relaxed...or happy for that matter. This time was obviously no different. If anything it was much worse. Lena had Amélie’s note clutched in her clammy hands, practically crushing it to bits with her ironclad grip.

God what could Amélie want to discuss with her? Was it the ghastly behavior she displayed the night before with her drunken shenanigans? Lena knew she had put her through such an inconvenience, she wouldn’t blame Amélie for wanting to chew her out for it. Maybe that would be it though! Just a quick wag of the finger and slap on the wrist and they could go back to where they were before...Whatever that would be. 

Lena gulped, pushing open the glass door of the shop, and stepped inside with dread clutching at her shoulders. It was mostly empty, give or take a few people hanging around the outer shelves. She walked down the middle towards the front counter, trying to keep her emotions under check. The stool behind the register sat empty which meant that either Gabe or Amélie or both were somewhere out in the back. 

_ This is your chance to run, Oxton.  _

Lena’s hand hovered over the bell, palms sweating more than ever, as a war raged on in her brain. There were so many pros and cons to this situation that she didn’t know whether fight or flight was the right option. 

But flight was sounding pretty good in the moment. 

Lena was was about to spin on her heel and exit, ready to leave the issue for another day, when the back door opened and Gabe came bustling through. He tossed down his armful of dirt-caked boxes and took a moment to stretch his back. Lena thought he hadn’t noticed her and was about to flee when his head turned sideways. 

“Hey!” Gabe greeted jubilantly, “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you!” Lena forced a smile and gave a little wave, cursing her foiled escape plans. 

“Let me guess,” Gabe continued, “You’ve finally come back for that venus fly trap you promised you were going to buy.” 

“Ahh actually I’m on a bit of personal business today.” Lena said, stuffing the letter in her pocket. Gabe raised an eyebrow. 

“Did something happen?” He asked seriously, “I heard about what you did for Amélie the other night. Is that creep still giving her problems?” His voice had lowered into a menacing growl.  

“Oh no nothing like that.” Lena said quickly, “I think Amélie wanted to speak to me about something… but if she’s busy I can leave and never come back or whatever.” 

“Geez you tattoo the woman and you’re  _ still  _ afraid of her?” Gabe scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. 

“I’m not  _ afraid  _ of her.” Lena said with a scowl, “She just said she wanted to talk to me so I don’t know if it’s good or bad.” 

“Probably bad,” Gabe shrugged. 

“Wow thanks.” Lena rolled her eyes, “That makes me feel loads better.” 

“Just saying, when people go around back to talk to Amélie,  _ none of them return alive.”  _ Gabe spoke in a cryptic voice, wiggling his fingers in Lena’s face. She slapped them away, fighting off a grin. 

“So can I go talk to her or not?”

“Oh yeah sure she’s in the fifth greenhouse on your left,” Gabe said, motioning for Lena to walk around the counter, “You can’t miss it.” 

She gave Gabe a final wave and pushed open the back door, having to stop and hold back a gasp of surprise. There were more flowers than she had ever seen in her life covering almost every surface of the property. Giant patches were dedicated to sunflowers and every color of rose known to man while the rest were a melting pot of every other flower imaginable. There was even a section dedicated to Gabe’s deadly venus flytraps and other poisonous plants. After getting over the initial shock of so much color, Lena spied the greenhouses a bit farther out than the rose patch. 

She treaded through the gardens, being extremely mindful of where she stepped, and counted the houses until she found number five. Now all she needed to do was open the door and confront whatever problems lay behind it. But of course Lena found her hands faltering once again. Facing this wasn’t as easy as her imagination made it seem. So instead of throwing open the door, she gave three shaky knocks and waited with her arms behind her back. 

It was a few extremely tense seconds before the handle turned and the door opened slowly. Lena felt tiny, miniscule even, as Amélie stood in the doorway looking as stunning as ever, even with a little smudge of dirt on her cheek. 

She spoke softly, “Hello, chérie. I see you got my note.” 

_ Words, Lena. Come on use that mouth for something good for once.  _

“So…” Lena started lamely, rubbing the back of her neck, “Uh about last night…” Her apology caught on her tongue as she struggled to make it sound sincere. Should she end with a joke, play it off lightly? Or should she try to take something seriously for once. 

“About last night.” Amélie echoed with a smile twitching on her lips.

It all came spilling out at once. 

“Look, I didn’t know Jesse was going to call you and make you drive all the way to pick up my drunken, sloppy ass and holy fuck I’m so embarrassed it was completely my fault-” 

A cool hand clamped gently over Lena’s mouth, effectively shutting up her rambling. After a moment, it gently pulled away. It took every ounce of Lena’s willpower to keep from shouting apologies again.

“Come inside.” 

Amélie took her by the hand and led her into the greenhouse, gesturing to sit on a nearby chair. Lena did as she was told, fighting down  _ another  _ outburst and almost exploding in the process. Amélie took her time removing her apron and hanging it on a nearby hook. She then took a moment to dust off her pants and adjust the rolled up sleeves on her shirt. Lena was fidgeting madly in her seat, foot bouncing faster and faster the longer she was made to wait. 

Finally Amélie took a seat on the second chair across from Lena, folding her hands in her lap as if she were in a fancy restaurant instead of a dirty greenhouse. She studied Lena for a moment. 

“You’re looking well this morning.” She remarked, “No hangover?” Lena grimaced, blushing a light shade of pink as more shame flooded into her gut. Oh God Amélie was going to toy with her before delivering the killing blow. 

“I had a headache…” Lena mumbled, avoiding eye contact, “But it’s pretty much gone…” 

“I thought you were going to be down for the count all day.” Amélie said with a shrug, “You’re full of surprises as usual.” They sat in silence, Lena dying in her seat and Amélie looking like she was waiting patiently for something. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.  

“Amélie I’m sorry!” Lena cried out suddenly, bowing her head, “I’m sorry you had to wake up in the middle of the night and take care of me like a goddamn drunken child and I understand if you never want to talk to me ever again.” She trailed off, keeping her eyes trained on her fists in her lap, and waited. Waited for the harsh words, the scolding, the raw disappointment, anything Amélie wanted to throw at her really. She deserved every scathing moment of it. There was a frighteningly long pause and Lena felt her heart pattering away it’s little scared rabbit beats. 

“Lena, do you remember any of last night?” Amélie asked calmly, completely disregarding the apology. Lena pondered this for a moment. Well it was mostly blurs and hazy conversations but there were a few moments that stuck out from the others.

“Uhm, you picked me up from the bar after Jesse called you...drove me home...tucked me in on the couch…” Lena said, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt, “That’s about it.” 

“Well you must not remember much of the drive,” Amélie said, “You spent 90% of it apologizing to me, then forgetting who I was, and then apologizing again.” 

“Ahhh…” Lena groaned, closing her eyes.

“So I’ve heard your apology and that’s not why I wanted to talk to you today.” Amélie reassured, “And I’m certainly not going to send you away forever.” 

“I wouldn’t blame you though.” Lena said, feeling another round of apologies bubbling up, “I basically took advantage of your kindness with my disgusting behavior-”    

Again, Lena was cut off by something covering her mouth. 

But this time it wasn’t a hand or a finger.

It was lips.  

Amélie was kissing her. 

...Wait. 

Time seemed to stop as the gears in Lena’s head began to kick into overdrive. Nothing about this situation made a lick of sense whatsoever. Amélie should be furious and telling Lena how much she hated her guts, not kissing her. The gears ticked faster. On the other hand, Maybe Amélie found the entire situation endearing and maybe it rooted her possibly hesitant attraction to Lena who could be viewed as a bit of a wild card since she worked an unconventional job and-

Slamming back down into the present, Lena realized she was sitting as still as a statue with her eyes popped wide open. Amélie pulled back, looking worried at the lack of response. Lena could tell she was about to apologize so she quickly, but gently, grabbed her face and led her back to reciprocate properly. 

And wow it was nice. Everything about Amélie’s face was just  _ soft.  _ Her skin, her lips, the strands of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. Lena felt herself getting lost in it. Again, Amélie pulled back first but this time she had a very serene smile on her face. 

“That,” She said, running her thumb over Lena’s lips, “Is what I wanted to talk to you about, chérie.” 

“Well you have quite the way with words, love.” 

Lena said back, feeling like her chest was about to burst. She gave a pleased giggle, trying not to let the blush on her cheeks glow too red-hot. She could see that there was also a faint coloring in Amélie’s face as well.

“So do you actually want to talk now or would you like to experience more of my ‘words’?” Amélie asked teasingly, stroking her fingertips under Lena’s chin. She felt a delightful chill run up her spine. 

Lena checked her watch.

“I think we can make time for both.”  

 

\---

An hour later, Lena slinked out of the greenhouse feeling like she just won the lottery. She could’ve spent the entire day in that dirty building but Amélie had to actually work and Lena had to be back at the tattoo shop in less than twenty minutes. It was extremely hard to leave but duty calls. 

She walked back through the gardens but this time she had a bit of a spring in her step, humming tunelessly as she went through the flower shop’s back door. Gabe was still sitting on his stool, prodding a cactus with a long, metal instrument. He put it down the minute he saw Lena come through the door, gasping in a loving, yet sarcastic, manner.   

“Oh here she comes _.”  _ He sighed lovingly, clasping his hands next to his cheek, “Let me see the ring! Is it going to be a June weddin’? Oh you two are just so precious!” 

“Wh-What?” Lena spluttered, “How did you know?” 

“Pfft, Amélie told me the plan before you got here,” Gabe said nonchalantly, picking his cactus back up, “Who do you think volunteered to watch the front desk?”

“Wow, you give the word wingman a whole new meaning.” Lena said, “So what’s the going-rate for one of those venus fly traps?”

  
Another ten minutes later, Lena exited Talon with a brand new mini venus fly trap in her hands and a wide grin on her lips.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed  
> To clear up any confusion Amelie and Lena aren't getting married that was Gabe being a sarcastic asshole


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long here's an extra long chapter.  
> Mildly proofread so ignore any mistakes

“I can’t believe the Omnic was the murderer the whole time,” Lena said in awe as she exited the movie theatre with Amélie, “It’s always the quiet ones...” She glanced around at the other movie-goers suspiciously.  

“If that’s the case then I won’t have to worry about  _ you  _ being a murderer then.” Amélie said, nudging Lena’s side playfully with her elbow. Lena looked indignant but broke into a grin, nudging Amélie back.

It had been a couple days since the so-called “greenhouse encounter” and this was the first time they were spending time together as an official couple. Lena didn’t want to do anything over the top so they settled on dinner and a movie. Nice and easy. Spending time with Amélie was becoming less and less intimidating once the fact that they were really together had finally sunk in. After leaving the greenhouse, Lena had spent several hours pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. God knows how awfully realistic her dreams could be in times of stress.

They walked blissfully down the street, arm in arm, enjoying each other’s presence. The night was warm with a cool breeze blowing softly in their direction. The crowded sidewalk thinned out as they left the bustling town center, with only a few people travelling back and forth. As they walked, Lena noticed that Amélie kept glancing over her shoulder every few moments. 

“Amé?” She asked, glancing back herself. There were a few people walking behind them, seemingly minding their own business. “Everything alright?” 

“Yes,” She answered with a convincing smile, “Why do you ask?” 

“You look a little...paranoid.” Lena said carefully, “Like you’re waiting for the boogeyman to jump out from the bushes.” Amélie sighed, squeezing her hand around Lena’s arm a little tighter. 

“Old habits I guess.” She hummed, seemingly unbothered. Lena frowned, looking around at the surrounding bodies. None of them really matched Gérard’s hulking description. 

“I understand.” Lena said cheerfully, wanting to lighten the mood, “But no worries, love! You’ve got a stud like me to keep you safe!” She flexed the arm that Amélie was gripping. 

“Well you do have a very convincing argument.” Amélie chuckled, patting Lena’s bicep appreciatively. They continued their walk until they ended up in Amélie’s neighborhood where she shared a house with Gabe and another woman who they simply called Sombra. Neither of them were really sure what her actual name was. She had some wicked biomechanical tattoos though. 

They stopped outside the front door, neither wanting to say their good-byes. 

“Well I guess this is goodnight.” Lena finally said, not wanting to go home at all. Amélie also looked like she wanted nothing more than to invite Lena inside. But it was late and a weeknight so both of them had work bright and early the next morning. As did Gabe and Sombra.

“Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow.” Amélie said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. There was a fresh flower pinned to it. 

“If I get a lunch break I’ll nip in for a bit to say hello.” Lena said brightly, planting a kiss on Amélie’s hand, “Shop’s been pretty busy the last couple days.” She was genuinely excited about the sudden influx of customers. She wasn’t sure what caused it but at the same time she didn’t care either. This was the first time they had made positive profit several days in a row and that was good enough for her. 

“That’s excellent to hear.” Amélie said, “Better not stay up too late or you’ll be tired in the morning.” 

“Oh it’s totally worth it.” Lena said slyly, earning a playful pinch to the cheek. Her stomach did a double backflip. She leaned up and kissed Amélie softly, hands running gently down her neck. Amélie wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist and pulled her closer, gripping the back of her T-shirt. Several moments passed and Lena knew she would have to break away before things got a little too heated. But she was weak and had absolutely no self-control as she continued the kiss. 

Luckily Amélie had enough restraint for both of them. She pulled her lips away, much to Lena’s displeasure, and ran a hand through her hair to ground herself. 

“Wow.” Lena said, feeling dazed, “I’m really glad one of us has some inkling of self control.”  

“Someone has to teach you a little discipline.” Amélie teased, tousling Lena’s spiky hair with her hand. She gave her a final goodnight kiss before heading inside her house, leaving a love-struck Lena swooning on the front porch. 

She turned on her heel and headed towards her own apartment which was in the opposite direction, though she didn’t mind the walk since the weather was so nice. A cool breeze blew through Lena’s ruffled hair and she inhaled it gratefully through her nose. The night seemed so perfect and she had a definite spring in her step as she sauntered down the deserted sidewalk. She hummed tunelessly, swinging her keys around her finger nonchalantly. 

Lena’s spinning became too erratic and the keys flew off her finger onto the sidewalk a few feet ahead. She shrugged and walked to get them but somebody she hadn’t noticed before had beaten her to them. 

“Dropped something.” A man said, holding out the keys in his palm. 

“Thanks.” Lena said back. It was too dark to see the man’s face but she reached out and took the keys anyway. “Appreciate it mate.”

“Nice night for a stroll.” He started conversationally, gesturing to the stars, “Kind of late though.” 

“Oh I wasn’t out for a walk I was just heading home.” Lena said, jerking her thumb in the other direction. There were too many jagged shadows from the overhanging trees to get a proper look at the stranger’s face. He stood about a head taller than Lena, spine straight as a rod with his arms folded behind his back. Though he stood properly, he was wearing a regular t-shirt and black jeans.   

“Better be careful.” The man said vaguely, “Some people would be inclined to hurt a pretty girl such as yourself. Especially one that’s all alone.” Lena’s eyes narrowed and her body naturally flexed into a defensive stance. 

“Is that a threat?” She growled, flipping the keys around in her hand so they acted as a makeshift knife. She had a real one tucked away in her sock but didn’t think she had the time to reach for it. Lena’s heart was pounding in her chest as she waited for the man to make a move. 

“Better watch yourself, or maybe I  _ will  _ be a threat.” He said warningly, already turning on his polished heel to walk in the other direction.  

“What the hell does that mean?” Lena asked in confusion. The man said nothing more and disappeared around the corner. She stood in place for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Finally, as her heart began to slow, Lena continued fast-walking towards her apartment. Now she was glancing over her shoulder every few moments as she jogged home. 

Lena arrived at her building, giving the area one final sweep before entering her room. She locked the door and jammed a chair underneath the handle for extra measure. She then swept around the room, shutting the blinds and making sure the windows were locked tight. 

_ This is stupid. You’re acting like a scared little child.  _ She scolded herself as she sat huddled on the couch,  _ It was just a crazy asshole trying to take your cash.  _

Even as Lena looked around her secure fortress, she couldn’t get that cryptic message out of her head. 

_ Maybe I  _ will  _ be a threat.  _

He was speaking like they were going to cross paths again in the future. Maybe he was even implying that he knew who Lena was. Or where she worked. Or where she lived. 

Maybe they would meet again.

Too many maybe’s. 

 

\---

 

Lena had been right several weeks ago when she said the pig-eating-a-grenade tattoo would be a bitch to color. Oh yes she had definitely been right. Every muscle from her shoulder to the very tips of her fingers was screaming, and the damn thing was only halfway done. She still had to color in the background and the grenade. Like last time, the customer seemed completely relaxed as Lena inked, even letting out a little snore every now and then. 

She put a few lines of shading on the pig’s teeth and tongue, feeling like her arm was going to give out at any given moment. If she could just finish up these highlights they could schedule another appointment to get the rest of it done and out of there. But the man seemed like he wasn’t going to budge any time soon.  

It didn’t help that appointments like these usually ended when the customer couldn’t take the sting anymore. As she watched the man doze off, it made Lena never want to tattoo another Australian again. They seemed to have no pain tolerance. 

She finished pig after another half an hour, practically throwing down her machine in relief. The twitchy man hopped up and took a gander at it in the mirror, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the piece. 

“Looking better and better every time we meet, mate!” He said in his high scratchy voice, “I’ll see you in another three weeks!” He slapped the same strange assortment of bills in Lena’s hand and left the shop (once again) without putting his shirt back on. 

“What a weirdo.” Hana said from behind the counter, “His tip is in Canadian and Russian bills. I think there’s a Yen in here too.” 

“Great, what am I supposed to do with Canadian and Russian dollars?” Lena scowled, looking at the colorful bills. 

“I bet a Russian restaurant would take it.” Hana shrugged, “Or a Canadian restaurant. Do those even exist?”  

“Yes,” Lucio called from the back, “I’ve been to one. Best service in the world.” 

“There you go.” Hana said brightly, “Free brunch!” 

Lena tucked the money into the register and headed back to her space to clean up the aftermath. The rest of her coworkers began to pack up as well, ready to close the shop for the night. Winston was tapping away on his calculator, so focused that he didn’t notice that his glasses had been knocked askew. No doubt calculating the expenses and profits of the day. Over the last few weeks they had more positive days than negatives and Lena truly believed that things were finally turning around for Slipstream. They even had a little extra money to buy a new coffee maker. 

“So, what’s the verdict?” Lena asked as Winston sat back in his seat, looking over his numbers. His eyes squinted as he seemed to be doing some last minute math on his data. 

“Negative today,” He announced, slightly shaking his head, “If that tip had been in American dollars we would’ve made profit.”

“What rubbish.” Lena huffed, “I was hoping to start a streak.” 

“Be thankful we were even close to starting a streak.” Winston tsked, storing the sheet of paper in his filing cabinet, “The situation could’ve been a whole lot worse.” 

“Yeah yeah I know.” Lena sighed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, “Well that’s it for me lads. I’m heading out.” She waved good-bye and headed out through the front door. 

The streets were still pretty busy since it was only 7:30 and many people were jammed together on the sidewalks trying to squeeze in some last minute shopping before the stores closed. Lena knew it would be a pain to get through the crowds but luckily they thinned out the farther away you walked. The sun was almost all the way down and many of the street lights had popped on. This night was particularly chilly, which was odd for that time of year so Lena pulled her jacket tighter around herself, irritated that the warm weather had not been there to stay.    

Recently Lena had picked up an annoying habit of keeping her keys knife-like in her hands, the jagged metal end sticking out from between her fingers like a claw. Even though many weeks had passed and she hadn’t seen the mysterious man anywhere at all, she still felt a chill of unease whenever she walked alone at night. She didn’t end up telling Amélie about it either, figuring nothing bad happened so there was no reason to upset her. 

_ Barely a month in and you’re already keeping secrets…  _

Lena slouched her shoulders as she continued the walk towards Amélie’s neighborhood, eyes constantly on patrol. Again, nothing happened on the way there but she didn’t release the grip on her keys until she was knocking on Amélie’s front door. There was the sound of the bolt unlatching and the door swung open. 

“Jeez you look unhappy.” Sombra greeted bluntly, looking Lena up and down. She was wearing a faded sweatshirt with binary code on it. Lena figured that it said something snarky or clever. 

“I just tattooed for eight hours can you blame me?” Lena grimaced, “My arm is decaying off my body.” 

“Ooh I don’t think Amé would be too happy about you losing that hand in particular.” Sombra smirked with a wink.

“D-Don’t be perverted!” Lena spluttered, blushing deep red. Sombra rolled her eyes with another smug grin, stepping aside so Lena could enter the house. Lena loved the way the trio had decorated their living space. It was a mash-up of French and Mexican cultures that made everything seem to pop. She could easily tell which decorations belonged to which person. Her favorite accessory was Sombra’s wooden string puppet with a sugar skull painted on it’s face that hung from the living room ceiling.

Gabe’s shotgun display was a close second. 

“Gabe’s cooking if you’re hungry.” Sombra said as she lead into the kitchen. They found Gabe whistling cheerfully over the stove. He was wearing a black apron that said “Don’t Touch the Buns.” 

He scanned a shelf of seasonings and spices, not noticing Sombra or Lena as he stirred a huge pot of rice. It smelled amazing and Lena thought back to the last time she had eaten something homemade. It...had definitely been awhile. Her garbage can was full of old cup noodle containers.   

“Heyo, your favorite girl is here.” Sombra announced, plopping back down at the table in front of her laptop where she began to type rapidly. 

“Hey hey!” Gabe greeted jubilantly, waving with his wooden spoon, “You’re just in time for dinner!” 

“Thank God, I’m starving.” Lena moaned, sinking into a nearby chair and tossing her backpack next to her feet, “Where’s Amélie?”

“Probably still in the shower.” Gabe shrugged, “It got real messy in the shop earlier.” 

“Rogue mutant plants?”

“Close. Some bonehead knocked over an entire display of fertilizer that  _ we  _ had to clean  _ ourselves _ .” Gabe explained with a scowl, “Lena, had you ever been knee-deep in cow shit?” 

“Can’t say I have.” She answered with a grimace, “Sounds like you guys had a worse day than I did.” 

“Three hours, my friend. Three. Hours.” Gabe shuddered, adding another handful of spices to the rice and stirring it in. 

“Well if that’s the case I’m glad Amélie is taking the extra shower time.” Lena laughed, “I’m sure cow manure stench is a real mood-killer.”

“Depends on who you ask.” Sombra chimed in, taking a moment to look up from her laptop screen, “I’m sure some crazy person somewhere goes nuts for that.” Gabe and Lena shared disgusted looks. 

“You need to spend less time on the internet.” Gabe said, crossing his thick arms like a disappointed father would. 

“You need to put more salt in the rice.” Sombra quipped back. 

_ “Some  _ people in this house are predisposed for hypertension.” Gabe huffed, shoveling spoonfuls of rice into bowls. Sombra scoffed, accepting a bowl and covering the top with a layer of salt so thick it made Gabe’s eye twitch. He handed two bowls to Lena. 

“Take one to Amélie for me will ya? I don’t think she’s eaten all day.”

“Will do. Thanks for the chow, Gabe!” 

Lena walked down the dark hallway, turning towards the last door on the right. She nudged it open with her foot and entered Amélie’s room. The room was modestly decorated with all the necessities a person needed without being too flashy. A bed, a dresser, and a desk with a computer sitting on top. There was also a French flag pinned to the wall over Amélie’s bed and a poster for a punk band Lena had never heard of called L’Enfer.    

The shower was still running as Lena hopped on the bed, digging into her bowl of delicious rice. She was about halfway through when the water finally shut off. She could hear Amélie moving around, cabinets opening and closing, clothes rustling. After several moments, the door finally opened. 

“Surprise.” Lena grinned, cheeks full of rice, “I brought dinner!” Amélie looked startled for a second but smiled at the sight.

“You sure know how to charm a woman.” Amélie said with a chuckle, sitting across from Lena on the bed. She smelled amazing.

“Heard about the mishap at the shop today.” Lena said. 

“Almost 200 pounds.” Amélie said darkly, “200 pounds and three hours stomping around in it.” She shuddered like Gabe had, looking haunted by the memory. 

“Well you smell great.” Lena reassured, “Like flowers.” 

“You smell like ink and Old Spice deodorant.” Amélie said, leaning over and giving Lena’s neck a sniff. It made Lena’s pulse jumpstart. 

“I-I hope that’s a good thing.” She stuttered, face growing redder and redder. 

Amélie set aside her barely touched bowl of rice and climbed across the bed, resting her hands high up on Lena’s thighs. She reached over and grabbed the empty bowl from Lena’s hand and put it aside as well. She leaned her head forward just enough that her lips ghosted over Lena’s ear.  

“You tell me, chérie.”            


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short? Hell yeah  
> But it gets the plot moving. 
> 
> The next chap won't take a month to write and be disappointingly short I promise.

\---

3 Months Later

\---

Lena stared at the bill in disbelief. Maybe a little bit of revulsion as well. It was definitely something. She tried to swallow but her throat was refusing to work and it felt like there was a layer of sand over her tongue. There was no way those numbers could be right. There had to be some sort of mistake, a misprint, something! She flipped the paper over and scanned desperately over the back, hoping that this was some kind of joke. 

Rent had tripled. 

There was a small note at the bottom from the company that sold them the building saying that the property’s value had risen over the last few months which meant higher payments due. Since the shopping center had been nothing but an output of growth and profits, it made the land surrounding it much more valuable and coveted by other companies. If Slipstream wanted to stay, they would have to show some serious cash to prove they were capable of keeping up with the economic boom. 

Lena wanted to cry. 

They were barely making ends meet in the first place and now the company expected them to top up almost double what they were scraping by with. What kind of sick twist of karma was this? Lena thought back to all of the bad things she had done the last couple of weeks to try and figure out what she did to cause this. But not looking both ways before crossing the street and accidently tipping the waitress a dollar less than usual didn’t seem bad enough to warrant such a personal blow.

Even tattooing the maximum number of people per day wasn’t going to cover every penny they would owe each month unless they raised prices. Lena shuddered at the thought of overcharging her customers just to make a couple extra bucks. It was despicable. One of the only ways to maybe get some financial relief would be to hire another artist but they would have to be willing to work for next to nothing for the first few months. She knew the struggle well.   

Lena looked around as Lucio and Winston laughed in the corner over a cup of coffee while Hana doodled on a napkin. How could she break it to them that they might lose the shop after all the hard work they put into getting this far? Lena bit her lip as conflict rushed through her head. Finally she stowed the bill into a desk drawer, deciding to bring it up after the shop had closed. 

“What’s the matter with you?” Hana asked as she passed by, “Girlfriend problems?” 

“Oh no nothing like that.” Lena said as brightly as she could, “Amelie and I are crisp as chips.” 

“I don’t even know what that means.” Hana rolled her eyes, “British slang goes right over my head sometimes.” 

“It never gets better,” Winston called, “I’ve known Lena for years and I still can’t decipher half of it.”

“The only ones I know are fish n’ chips, jolly good mate, and god save the queen.” Lucio said.  

“Don’t you dare soil her name with your jokes.” Lena scolded playfully, “And we don’t say  _ jolly good mate _ like where did you even hear that?”

“I’m pretty sure you said it last week,” Lucio shrugged.

“That sounds like a load of bollocks to me.” 

“Jolly good then mate.”  

As they laughed, the pit in Lena’s stomach grew heavier and heavier. 

She didn’t want to lose this. 

 

\---

Morning fog nuzzled up against the windows of Lena’s apartment as she sat on her bed watching the sunrise through heavy eyes. She hugged her knees tighter and ignored the buzzing of her phone for the millionth time. Of course it was Amelie again. It had been almost two days since she last spoke to anyone aside from a one-word answer, or even left her apartment for that matter. 

It wasn’t fair to ignore every person who cared, but Lena found herself only wanting to spend the hours in her apartment alone as she desperately thought of ways to make money. She had to dip way into the shop’s savings account to pay the month’s rent, but there wasn’t enough there to keep them afloat for much longer.   

That was what depressed Lena the most.

It was like bleeding to death. A slow and painful process where you can only lay on the ground and watch your wound bleed and bleed until nothing remains. 

Lena sighed bitterly and buried her face into a pillow, not wanting to face another day of failed ideas and schemes. Her head ached from the lack of sleep but she could feel the anxiety coursing through her like a venomous bite. It made her body tremble. God she hated feeling so trapped and helpless, like a rat stuck in a maze with no way out. 

Lena’s phone began to buzz again and this time it was accompanied by a few loud raps on her front door. She let them knock, it was probably a salesman trying to sell her a fancy vacuum she didn’t need. The buzzing and the knocking started up again, once more at the same time. Lena reluctantly got up and slouched to the door, swinging it open without looking through the peephole. 

“Amelie?” She said in shock as the sight of her very angry girlfriend standing in the doorway finally took effect. Amelie hung up her phone as it went to Lena’s voicemail and crossed her arms, marching into the apartment. Lena tentatively closed the door, almost afraid to turn around and face the fire. There was heavy silence until Amelie finally spoke up. 

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you.” She said crossly, raising an eyebrow, “Even your friends are asking where you are.”   

“Uhhhmm...Yeah I had some stuff-” Lena started but Amelie cut her off, taking a step closer.

“Lena you’re a mess,” The angry look on her face immediately softened into concern, “You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

Lena blinked as she tried to process the words coming out of Amelie’s mouth.

“Oh,” She said slowly, trying to work her sluggish brain, “I uh, was just working on some designs and…” She trailed off as Amelie looked more and more skeptical. She put her hands on Lena’s shoulders and guided her towards the bedroom, making her sit on the disheveled bed.

“When’s the last time you’ve eaten?” Amelie asked, practically daring Lena to lie to her. 

“Friday…?” Lena said, not sure if it had even been that soon. Amelie grimaced before getting up and going into the kitchen where Lena could hear her rummaging around. She came back with a plate of leftovers from the last time Gabe cooked for them. 

“Eat, and then we’re going to talk.” Amelie said as if it were a direct order. Lena picked at the food at first but became aware of how ravenous she was after a few small bites, polishing off every last bit. She sighed and set the plate aside, feeling a bit more like herself than before. 

“I can’t believe I went so long without eating.” She said with a weak smile, “Easy to lose track of time in here.”

“I can tell.” Amelie frowned but no longer looked at all angry or annoyed. She put a hand on Lena’s back, rubbing it in small circles, “I was worried about you. I thought something happened.” Lena let out a sigh, pulling her knees to her chest. 

“I’ve had a lot on my mind.” She said wearily, “It’s been tearing me apart from the inside and I don’t know what to do.” Amelie put her arms around Lena’s trembling shoulders and pulled her close, resting her lips on the top of Lena’s head. 

“What’s wrong, chérie?” She said in a gentle, soothing voice, “I want to help you.” Lena hesitated, thinking back to her promise to not drag Amelie into her problems. But Lena knew she couldn’t hide something this big forever, especially not from Amelie who could smell problems from a mile away. Even then she still had to tell Lucio, Hana, and Winston which seemed like a much scarier circumstance. Might as well save the worst for last. 

Lena reached into her pocket and pulled out an extremely wrinkled copy of the bill she had paid, handing it silently over to Amelie. 

“What’s this?” She asked, eyes scanning over the rumpled paper. 

“Rent.” Lena said dejectedly, “Rent for Slipstream.” Amelie’s eyebrows shot up her forehead.

“That’s outrageous!” She nearly shouted, eyes flying over the paper now, “None of the shops on the strip pay nearly this much.” Now,  _ that  _ was news. 

“Wait really?” 

Amelie nodded, “The property values do rise from time to time but never this much of a jump. Something’s not right about this…”

“Well I can’t just not pay it.” Lena said in exasperation, “I had to use most of the shop’s savings to get that one done!” Another freezing wave of anxiety washed over her at the thought. She watched as Amelie read over the paper again and again, seeming to add up numbers and percentages in her head. It was eerily similar to the face Winston made when he calculated the day’s earnings. 

“Lena, I think someone might be trying to buy your property.” Amelie finally said, eyes wide with concern. 

“What? Someone wants to buy Slipstream?” 

“Not Slipstream, just the land.” Amelie explained, “I’m not 100% sure yet but sometimes banks will try to run their patrons off the property if someone comes in with a much larger offer.” 

“That’s bollocks!” Lena snarled, jumping up in rage, “That’s  _ our  _ shop! They can’t just kick us to the curb like bloody animals!” 

“They can if you don’t pay your rent.” Amelie said solemnly, putting a consoling hand on Lena’s back as she sunk down onto the bed, “I’m going to look into this and figure it out.” 

“Ame, you don’t have to do that.” Lena said quickly, “I don’t want to drag you into my problems.” 

“It’s not just a problem, chérie,” Amelie said seriously, “This is your life’s work, your passion. I’m not going to stand by and let them take it from you.” Lena felt her lip tremble slightly as strong emotions swam around in her chest. She took Amelie’s hand and held it tight. 

“Thank you.”         


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's-a me! Gummy! Who is now free to post disappointingly short chapters!

Amelie stood and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a noisy groan. She dropped the hose she had been using to water daisies for the last hour and a half and flexed her hand a couple times, trying to shake the ache out of it. The sun was already low in the sky and there was still so much more to do before it disappeared completely. Amelie sighed and grabbed her basket of tools, heading over to where the roses were in full bloom. They still needed a steady supply of fertilizer to keep them beautiful until they were ready to go on the market. A steady supply of fertilizer meant hauling a 50 pound bag from the greenhouses to the gardens which made Amelie groan again. 

Some days the work seemed to be too much and she thought about dropping everything and just going home to sleep for a week. But flowers were Amelie’s passion even though taking care of so many often became overwhelming, she couldn’t imagine giving up her shop to anyone. 

That’s why she felt so strongly about Lena’s predicament. Everything about what the bank was saying seemed shady to Amelie. She wasn’t much of a business expert but she knew a fishy bill when she saw one. It was baffling. Slipstream’s location wasn’t exactly prime real estate since it was on the outskirts of the shopping center instead of in the hub. So why would someone be trying so hard to outbid them and take over? 

It wasn’t just baffling, it was downright frustrating and Amelie could tell that Lena was starting to panic. That first bill had been somewhat manageable but the next and the next after that would slowly drain Slipstream of every penny they had saved. And by the looks of it, the numbers were only going to keep climbing until the buyer got what they wanted. 

Amelie kicked open the door to the greenhouse with her boot, trying to keep her head straight while she worked. Distraction on the job had caused disaster before. The extremely potent weed killer looked  _ very  _ similar to the fertilizer’s packaging after all. That had been quite the expensive mistake.   

Amelie threw the bag of plant feed over her shoulder with a grunt and carried it across the gardens over to the roses. She tossed down the bag and tore open the top, wanting to disperse the fertilizer as quickly as possible so she could go home and take a well-deserved shower. She scooped giant handfuls into the soil, dragging the bag along with her as she went up and down the rows. By the time she finished, Amelie was covered in dirt from her fingers to her elbows. 

She kicked aside the now empty fertilizer bag and sighed in relief. The shower was calling her name in the sweetest voice. She briefly wondered how much it would cost to just install a shower in the shop.      

“Amelie are you done out here yet?” Gabe called from inside the shop.

“Why don’t you come help me,  _ paresseux?”  _ Amelie shot back, ready to go rub her dirt-covered hands on his nice white shirt. 

“Because Lena is here,” Gabe said, “She keeps beating me at cards and I want to go home.” There was a pout in his voice. 

“Lena is here?” Amelie said in shock, looking down at her filthy appearance. 

“It was supposed to be a surprise you arse!” She heard Lena hiss to Gabe, “And I know you were hiding that ace in your shoe the whole game!” Amelie took their petty arguing as an opportunity to hose most of the dirt off of her hands and shoes so by the time Lena walked out back she was mostly clean. 

“Hi, love!” Lena said, looking smugly cheerful which meant she had won the argument with Gabe, “Hope it’s okay that I popped in unannounced?”  

“I would be shocked if you didn’t, chérie,” Amelie said, pinching Lena’s freckled cheek affectionately, “I was just wrapping up.” Lena wrapped her arms around Amelie’s waist and sunk into a hug.

_ “Qu’est-ce que c’est?  _ You look exhausted, Lena.” Amelie said, “You can barely stand up straight.” 

“Long day is all.” She said, taking a step back, “You’d be tired as well if you had to tattoo fourteen people in ten hours.”

“So I see,” Amelie said skeptically, “Well I just need to get washed up and we’ll be free to do whatever you want.” She winked coyly.   __

“Ah yes,” Lena said nervously, face red, “As much as I would love that...” 

Amelie raised a questioning eyebrow. 

“Uhm... I decided to extend the shop’s hours just a smidge more.” Lena said, looking at the ground, “Y’know a lot of people get their tattoos late night nowadays.”  

“You already extended them last week.” Amelie reminded her with a disapproving look, “How much longer are you staying open now?”

“Just another two hours.” Lena shrugged, “It’s nothing.” She kicked at a rock with her dirty sneaker. 

“There’s something else isn’t there?” Amelie asked, sensing Lena’s hesitation. That girl was an open book of emotions sometimes.  

“The extended hours are only for me.” Lena admitted, shifting uncomfortably and refusing to look Amelie in the eyes. Well, there it was.  

“Lena!” Amelie said, outraged, “You can’t keep pushing yourself like this! I can already tell how exhausted you are.”

“I’m fine I’m fine,” Lena said adamantly despite the bags under her eyes, “I have to do this or we won’t be able to keep the shop open!” She looked fiercely into Amelie’s eyes, face burning with determination but not enough to hide the fact that she was clearly running on fumes. Amelie was no stranger to what Lena was feeling. Passion could be such a source of drive and energy but she also knew that it was dangerous for Lena to keep up this workload. Her eyes traveled down to Lena’s hands which seemed to be shaking from overuse. 

Amelie closed her eyes and exhaled deeply from her nose. She would not lose her temper over this and she would not raise her voice. It wouldn’t solve anything. 

“I know how much this means to you.” She started slowly, voice even and gentle, “And I know you’re willing to do anything to make sure nobody takes this away from you.” 

Lena’s face softened but she did not interrupt. 

“But you also need to think of yourself.” Amelie took one of Lena’s hands, feeling its tremors, “Please. For me?” She kissed Lena’s fingertips gently. 

Lena sighed, sinking back into Amelie’s embrace as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.

“I  _ am  _ exhausted.” She said into Amelie’s shoulder with a soft laugh. She was quiet for a moment. “I have to tell the others don’t I?” 

“I think that would be best.” Amelie said, stroking the back of Lena’s neck with her thumb, trying to keep her relaxed. 

“Bollocks...That’s not going to be a fun conversation.”

“Not fun but necessary. They deserve to know what’s happening.” 

Lena let out a puff of air. 

“Let me go close up the shop and we can get out of here.” She said, “Then we can do whatever you want.” She mimicked Amelie’s coy wink. 

“The only thing we’re doing is getting you to bed.” Amelie said, rolling her eyes.

“Oooh I like the sound of that, love.” 

 

\---

 

Several weeks passed and Lena had kept her word about not overworking herself, or at least she had as far as Amelie could tell. With a little bit of encouragement, Lena had finally spilled the beans to her coworkers about the financial situation. There had been a moment of shock, then a very brief moment of anger about being kept in the dark, and then support from them all about wanting to find a solution. They were willing to evenly split the extra work which would ensure that nobody died of sleep deprivation or got carpal tunnel. 

Lena reported that the extra work kept profits mostly on the positive since they cut down spending but they were still treading dangerous waters. If the bills kept rising then there would be no way to save Slipstream. As much of an optimist as Lena was, Amelie could still see the underlying stress plaguing her. The dark bags under her eyes never fully went away, nor did the slight tremor in her hands after a long day. She wanted Lena to take some time off to recover but she knew the stubborn girl would never even consider it. 

“Some people just can’t be stopped.” Gabe shrugged as Amelie vented these frustrations to him in their cramped kitchen, “That girl is built like a machine. A tattoo machine if you will.” 

“She’s not a machine!” Amelie snapped, “She’s a human being who’s slowly destroying her body for the sake of what? Art? Glory?”

“More like for the sake of what she loves.” Gabe shrugged again as he opened the oven to check on the cake he was making, “Are you saying you wouldn’t do the same for our shop?” Amelie paused, thinking the question over. 

“I mean, I would.” She said, “But I’d know when I’m pushing myself too hard.” 

“Look, I understand where you’re coming from but Lena’s a big girl.” Gabe said, putting a mitted hand on Amelie’s shoulder, “She’s knows herself best. You gotta let her do what she knows how to do.” He stooped over and grabbed the cake out of the oven, giving it a deep sniff. 

Amelie crossed her arms, hating that he was completely right. Lena wasn’t a child (as much as she acted like one sometimes) and she could probably handle this hurdle for as long as it was manageable. She was mostly worried for when the hurdle became too high to jump over. What then? 

Was she supposed to just stand by and watch as Lena’s dream burned up and turned to ash? 

“I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” Amelie said fiercely, slamming her fist down on the table, “Something suspicious is going on and I’m going to find out what it is!” She stood and grabbed her laptop off of the kitchen table. Gabe winked and quietly passed her a slice of cake.    


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah! Didn't take a month this time!

Lena ripped her headphones out of her ears and threw them aside with a grunt of frustration. Anger bubbled up in her throat and she was tempted to toss her beloved sketchbook aside as well, but she took a deep breath and closed it gently. The lights from the city blazed brightly outside of her window and she could hear the commotion of saturday night traffic. A view that was once so calming was now making her sick to her stomach. 

Lena sighed and leaned her head against the wall, wanting nothing more than to drift to sleep for the next several months. Let someone else handle these problems. Her optimism was running out as the situation became more and more dire with each passing month. The rent was spiking every time they got a bill and soon it would become unaffordable. Even with Amelie hot on the case of who was behind this, Lena still felt trapped in a corner. 

She hated the helplessness of a faceless entity forcing her back against the wall. Lena bristled with anger, wanting nothing more than to find this person and knock a couple teeth out. She felt like a lost teenager again, fighting and scavenging through life as though the next day wouldn’t come. Those days were over. It took so many years for Lena to finally accomplish her dream of owning her own tattoo shop and along comes a stranger trying to turn everything she’d worked for into ash.

Lucio, Hana, and Winston seemed to be running low on enthusiasm as well. Everyone had been working their fingers raw and there was barely anything to show for it. The hopelessness of the situation was infecting everybody as if they knew their effort would inevitably be for nothing. 

God she needed a drink.

Lena tossed her sketchbook aside and grabbed her leather bomber off the couch, tossing it around her shoulders as she left the apartment. The neighborhood streets were always noisy on saturday nights but Lena ignored it all as she walked towards the shopping center, hands deep in her pockets. She walked the familiar path until she found herself in front of the pub. There she spotted the familiar cowboy attire on the bearded bouncer. 

“Howdy.” She greeted in her lowest voice. McCree’s face lit up at the sight. 

“She lives!” He said jubilantly, hopping off his stool to shake Lena’s hand, “I wasn’t sure if we’d have to call the undertaker after your last fiasco.” 

“Yeah that was...messy.” Lena said, blushing slightly, “I’m only here for a pint tonight so don’t worry.” 

“Oh, I’d serve you liquor again in a heartbeat.” Jesse said, “It’s ol’ Hanzo you’re gonna have to convince.”

“Oh yikes. I didn’t realize I’d gotten myself on prohibition.” 

“Yup,” Jesse hummed, “He don’t much like people making a scene in his bar. Bad for the reputation or something like that.” 

“You can help me redeem myself can’t you?” Lena asked, “He looks like he’d do anything for you.” Jesse shrugged.

“He’s a big pushover if you ask me. Shouldn’t be too hard.” They walked into the bar together. Hanzo was behind the counter pouring a drink for a man with bright green hair. When he looked up and spotted Lena a sour look appeared on his face. 

“No.” Was all he said, crossing his arms defensively. 

“Whoa hostile.” Lena said. 

“I’m not having another you make another scene in my bar it’s bad for my reputation.” 

“Told you.” Jesse muttered under his breath. Hanzo shot him a scowl. 

“Trust me, I don’t have the money to get smashed like that again.” Lena said reassuringly, “I’m only here for a drink or two and then I’ll be on my merry way.” Hanzo studied her closely. 

“Stop making puppy eyes at me, Jesse.” He snapped, but then let out a defeated sigh, “Fine. I will serve you. But I’ll be watching.” 

“Thank you very much.” Lena said, taking a seat on a barstool. 

“Welp, I’ll be outside of you need me.” Jesse said, patting Lena on the back, “Don’t go too crazy or Hanzo will have my head.” He turned and strode out of the bar, the spurs on his boots jingling with each step. 

“I’ve never understood their dynamic.” The green-haired man said in a thick Japanese accent, “One extremely uptight and the other extremely easy-going. It makes no sense.” 

“Oh trust me, it happens more often than you think.” Lena said, thinking of Amelie, “Actually it’s very balanced if you ask me.” 

“I’ll drink to that.” The man said with a grin, lifting his bottle of beer and draining it, “Hanzo I’m leaving, just put this on my tab!”

“The tab that you’ve never bothered to pay, Genji.” Hanzo grumbled. 

“I’ll get it eventually.” The green-haired man said good naturedly, “Farewell, brother!” He exited the pub with a casual wave. 

“That’s your brother?” Lena asked, “I never would’ve guessed.” 

“Yes he is my younger brother,” Hanzo grunted as he set down Lena’s drink, “He a lousy tipper as well.” 

Keeping her promise of two drinks, Lena paid her bill and said goodnight to Hanzo who nodded. She chatted with Jesse for some time before finally heading towards her apartment, feeling a little better with some alcohol in her bloodstream. The breeze was nice and cool so Lena removed her jacket and slung it over her shoulder. As she walked, the crowded sidewalk thinned out and soon she was alone. 

But there was something putting her on edge. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol making her paranoid but she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she got closer and closer to her apartment building. She gazed around, constantly looking over her shoulder into the darkness but nobody was there. 

“You’re going mental, Lena.” She muttered to herself, “They’re gonna chuck you into the nuthouse if you keep this up.” She picked up the pace but froze suddenly as a twig snapped behind her. Lena whirled around, fists up and breath heavy with anxiety. 

“Who’s there!” She called fiercely, “Come on out!” It was a man. He stood about fifteen feet away under a street light that cast gaunt shadows over his face.  

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said in a thick accent. 

“Well you’re being awful creepy.” Lena said, lowering her fists slightly, “What do you want? I don’t have any money.” The man chuckled humorlessly. 

“Do you think someone this well dressed would need to rob you of a few pennies?” He said in a mocking tone, gesturing to his crisp suit. 

“Now you’re just being rude.” Lena said, rolling her eyes, “Cut to the chase I want to go home.” The man seemed slightly taken aback at Lena’s demanding tone but cleared his throat. 

“I have a proposition for you, Lena Oxton.” He said. That got her attention. Creepy man in a suit that knew her name? That just screamed unnecessary trouble.

“No thanks.” Lena said flatly, holding up a hand, “I don’t make deals with strangers.” She turned to leave.

“I’m not as much of a stranger as you think I am.” The man said, “In fact, I think you’ll want to stick around and hear me out. That is, if you enjoy still being the owner of your business.” Now that  _ really  _ got her attention. Lena whirled around in alarm as it all clicked into place. 

“You’re the one trying to buy Slipstream.” She said slowly. The man grinned smugly. 

“Trying. That’s adorable.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, “You see, I  _ own  _ Slipstream now.” Lena felt her heart pounding in her ears. That wasn’t possible. There was no way.

“H-How?” She stammered, a bead of nervous sweat rolling down her cheek, “I wasn’t notified, that can’t be legal!” 

“It is.” The man said, “Once I sign this deed, Slipstream and everything in it will belong to me.” 

Lena was speechless as she stared at the man, her whole body frozen in place. Nothing felt real. She couldn’t even pinch herself to see if this was all a nightmare. The jelly-like feeling in her knees was enough to convince her that this was, in fact, happening.   

“Are you willing to listen to my proposition now?” The man said with a victorious look on his face. Lena swallowed hard and nodded her head shakily. 

“See I think we can help each other out Lena,” He said in a more friendly tone that Lena didn’t trust for a second, “We both have something the other wants.” 

“What could you possibly want from me?” Lena asked, puzzled, “I don’t have money.” The man’s smile grew wider and more wicked. 

“Let’s just say you have some of my...property.” He said, “And I would like it back.” Lena’s confusion grew. 

“Look, you already have the building and it isn’t even prime real estate.” She said, “You can have the coffee machine if that’s what you’re after.” 

“Enough of your silly jokes.” The man said impatiently, “You know what I want!” 

“No I don’t!” Lena snapped, “Just tell me what it is so I can save my shop!” 

“Amelie.” 

For the second time that night, things clicked into place. There was only one person that would care enough to own a shop right across the street from where Amelie worked. A place where someone could watch her and be near her without having to skulk around or break a restraining order.  

“ _ Gérard _ .” Lena snarled, taking a furious step forward.

“At your service.” Gérard said, taking a deep bow. 

“You’re trying to take over Slipstream just so you can spy on Amelie?” Lena growled, “You’re a bloody lunatic!” 

“Oh there’s much more to it than that.” He chuckled, “You haven’t even heard my full proposition yet.” 

“Save it.” Lena said, “I don’t even want to hear it. I’d never make a deal with you.”

“You agree to break things off with Amelie,” Gérard said, “And I will give you Slipstream, paid in full.”

“Wh-what?” 

“That’s right. You will never see another bill as long as you work there.” 

“You’re...You’re mad!” Lena yelled, sweat pouring down her face, “You think I’d trade someone I love for money? You sick fuck!” 

“Now now no need to get upset.” Gérard said reassuringly, “You’re not  _ trading  _ Amelie. You’re simply agreeing to let her come back to me.”

“Never!” 

“Come on Lena, what do you possibly have to offer Amelie?” Gérard tsked as if scolding a child, “Certainly not money or status. I don't see any of your art paying the bills.” 

“Nothing about you will make her happy!” Lena said fiercely, “She  _ hates  _ you.” She spat the words as angrily as she could in his face. 

“She does not!” Gérard shouted, losing his composure for the first time, “She loves me and she belongs to me!” 

“Are you kidding me?” Lena laughed loudly, “Amelie despises you! She has a restraining order against you, mate!”

“It’s true we’ve had our disagreements in the past but she  _ always comes back _ .” Gérard said menacingly, taking a step closer, “Whether it be by her own free will, or by force.” Lena glared at him, trying to cover up the fact that she was trembling all over. This man was dangerous and he meant to do harm if he didn’t get his way. Now Lena really felt trapped in the corner with no choice but to fight. 

“Why can’t you just leave us alone?” Lena said almost pleadingly, gritting her teeth. 

“How simple.” Gérard said, “I’ll do anything it takes to keep Amelie in my life, even if it means a couple people get hurt.” 

“I wouldn’t give her to you even if you wrote me a blank check!” Lena yelled ferociously, “You can keep Slipstream and everything in it! Burn it down for all I care! You’re not getting Amelie!” She was panting, adrenaline pumping through her like ice. Gérard was quiet for a moment, folding his hands behind his back as he turned away. 

“You have until tomorrow to decide.” He said over his shoulder, “Choose wisely.” A sleek black car pulled up to the curb which he slid into smoothly without another word. As it pulled back into the street, Lena sprinted the rest of the way to her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her. She dropped to the ground and breathed deeply for several moments as the adrenaline in her body ebbed away, leaving her feeling brittle and weak. 

Then came the weight of what she had done.   

_ “Once I sign this deed, Slipstream and everything in it will belong to me.”  _

Lena threw back her head and let out a quiet sob as tears began to run down her cheeks. She knew she had made the right choice but, God, at what cost. How could she tell Lucio and Winston that they were now unemployed? How could she tell Hana that her apprenticeship was over? How could she tell Amelie about any of this? Lena rested her wet cheeks against the cool hardwood floors. 

How could she be expected to do any of this? 

She had to.

Lena pulled out her phone and dialed the familiar number. 

“Amelie, we have a problem.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else getting serious Ursula vibes from Gérard?? Or is that just me?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends, one day I will be able to make regular updates. Today is not that day. 
> 
> Uh content warning for descriptions of abuse?? Not physical but over-controlling. Either way, just a gentle warning

Amelie rushed out of her house in the dead of night and hurried down the concrete pathway to her car. She peeled out of the driveway and practically flew down the dark streets as she made her way towards Lena’s apartment. It was well past midnight and she had to open her shop in the early morning but this was much more important. 

Lena was very cryptic over the phone when Amelie had begrudgingly answered. She didn’t normally take calls so late at night since she always had to wake up early but something told her that this might be important. At first, Amelie had thought that Lena was trying to play a prank on her since her voice sounded so strange, but she also sounded so genuinely shaken up that Amelie knew it was something serious. She tried to decipher as much of Lena’s muffled babbling as she could but the thick cockney accent paired with hysteria was very hard to understand. 

Amelie skidded her car dangerously around the sharp entrance to Lena’s complex and parked in the first spot she could find, the back half of the car leaking into the parking space next to her. It didn’t matter, whoever had a problem with it could deal. For now, Amelie marched inside and quickly strode down the hallway where Lena’s apartment was. She knocked three times and waited, foot tapping and fingers twitching in impatience. She could hear hurried, muffled sounds behind the door, then something tipping over and shattering. 

Finally Lena answered the the door. She looked like a complete mess. Amelie could tell that she had hastily tried to clean up her tear-stained face before showing herself. Her eyes were extremely red-rimmed and her hair was sticking up as if she had been lying on the floor for several hours (which she probably had). They stared at each other for a few seconds, Amelie too shocked and bewildered to say much of anything.   

Lena cleared her throat and opened her mouth as if to make a joke or witty greeting, then promptly burst into tears. 

Amelie’s heart broke as she quickly led Lena back inside and shut the door behind her, trying to make comforting sounds. She set the crying girl on the couch and ran to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. 

“T-thanks Amé.” Lena gulped through her tears, taking a shaky sip, “I didn’t mean to lose my composure like that.” 

“Lena what’s going on?” Amelie asked gently, “You call me in the dead of night saying you’ve got a big problem and refused to say anything more.” Lena took another sip of water, eyes bouncing all around the room as if she were struggling to phrase some bad news in a good way.    

“I-It’s him, Amelie.” Lena finally said, looking up at her with tearful, frightened eyes, “It’s Gérard.”

The name rang and echoed in Amelie’s ears as she stared at Lena in disbelief. As much as she wanted to recede into the comfort of denial, Amelie knew Lena would never joke or lie about something so sensitive and personal. She tried to swallow the giant lump of fear forming in her throat as her mind raced. 

“B-But...How? What does he want with you?” Amelie finally choked out, grabbing Lena’s hand to anchor herself to the present time, “How does he even know who you are?”

“He’s been watching us, Amelie.” Lena said, shaking her head angrily, “That sick bastard is the one trying to buy Slipstream.” She seemed to struggle internally for a moment as if something was causing her great pain.

“He’s the one that  _ bought  _ Slipstream.” Lena said hollowly, a fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Amelie didn’t know if any words of comfort could patch up Lena’s clearly broken heart, so she said nothing. Instead she grabbed Lena and lead her to the bedroom, laying her gently down on the bed and crawling beside her. 

“Oh Lena.” Amelie mumbled into her girlfriend’s shaking shoulder. She pulled Lena close and ran her fingers through her spikes, feeling her own heart break as the situation became more and more real. All of Lena’s hard work and dedication had just been eradicated in a split second and there was nothing she could do about it. Once again, Gérard had found a way to be always in control. 

“Amelie?” Lena said softly, rolling over so they were face to face, “What happened...with you and Gérard?” Amelie closed her eyes and sighed. She knew this conversation was going to come up sooner or later but she had hoped it would never be brought up at all. Lena looked at her with compassionate eyes, running her thumb back and forth over Amelie’s cheek soothingly. She knew this would not be an easy thing to discuss. 

“He’s...It was…I’m...” Amelie was able to start, but her words quickly died off into hesitation. Thinking back to those three terrible years of marriage she had worked so hard to forget was certainly difficult and it seemed like her brain was trying to block her off. 

“I know it’s hard.” Lena said gently, taking Amelie’s free hand in her own, “You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts too much. I understand.” 

“I used gardening as a way to escape.” Amelie said, “It sounds silly but I was only happy when I was up to my elbows in fertilizer.” 

Lena giggled but didn’t interrupt.

“Well as you can imagine, Gérard didn’t like that. In fact, he didn’t care for much of anything that I enjoyed without his permission.” Amelie continued, “First it was my music. He threw away all of my CD’s and forbade me to listen to the radio unless it was on a station he liked.” Amelie grimaced, “I should’ve turned and run after that but I was too infatuated...He was too charming.” 

She let out another sigh. 

“Next it was my movies, my TV shows, my books. Then it was my friends, God they tried to warn me but I just didn’t listen. He insisted that he loved me and it was for my own good.” 

“Oh, God Amelie I…” Lena trailed off, the horror and outrage almost too much to bear.

“Gardening was all I had left.” Amelie said, “Gérard was disgusted that I would willingly put my hands in dirt. He found it low class and unladylike. But it was the one thing I wouldn’t let him take from me.” She clenched her fist as she recalled the awful fight they had. Gérard screamed and bellowed at her, threatening to lock her in the house if she wouldn’t stop. But she screamed and bellowed back, swearing she would leave him if he didn’t let her have this one thing. 

“That really tipped him off.” Amelie said, “But I knew he was afraid I would really do it so he finally backed down. After another year I finally came to my senses and snuck away in the middle of the night. I filed for divorce and got a restraining order and he’s been in and out of my life ever since.” Amelie’s heart was beating hard against her chest. Just thinking back to her married days made her feel trapped and controlled, as if Gérard still had his iron grip on her life. Lena’s touch brought her back to the present. 

“I don’t think I could begin to express how infuriated that made me feel.” Lena said, hands shaking and face more serious than Amelie had ever seen it, “But I’m glad you told me.” Her face softened into a small smile. 

“I’m just sorry that he’s causing you so much pain.” Amelie said, looking down at her hands, “I never wanted you to have to experience what he’s capable of.” 

“Hey hey no,” Lena murmured, taking Amelie’s face in her hands, “This is the last time he’s going to meddle in our lives. I swear on  _ my  _ life.” 

“That’s a promise I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to keep.” Amelie said sadly, “He will never give up or go away until he owns me once again.”

“I’m not going to let that happen.” Lena said fiercely, seeming to bristle, “If he comes anywhere near you I’m going to beat him until he begs for mercy. And then I’m going to beat him some more.” 

“No.” Amelie said severely, “We’re going to focus on you getting your shop back. That’s the most important thing right now. Did he tell you why he bought Slipstream?”

Lena bit her lip nervously. 

“Yes, but you’re not going to like the terms and conditions.” She mumbled. 

“I think I have a fair guess as to what they are.” 

“He said that he’s going to pay off every debt I have...on the condition that I hand you over to him.” Lena scowled, “As if you’re a piece of property.” 

“And what did you say to that?” 

“I told him to burn it to the ground.” Lena snarled, “That sick fuck isn’t going to win me over with his money.” Lena’s face turned sad and Amelie knew she was thinking about what the repercussions of losing her business were going to be. She would eventually lose everything, including her home. So in a way, Gérard would still have a hold on the outcome of her life no matter what her final decision was. 

“We’re not going to let him win.” Amelie said with a tone of finality, “We’re going to beat him somehow.” 

“Guess we better start brainstorming, love.” Lena grinned, pulling Amelie close and kissing her. Amelie kissed Lena back as if her very life depended on it. And, in a sick way, it kind of did.          

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kisses for your patience and I hope you will continue to read no matter how sporadic I am

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment and validate me lads. I crave approval.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: gummy-the-ghost.tumblr.com


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